t  I  ft  K  «  I  «  Y 

GENERAL 
LIBRARY 

UNIVEESITY    OF 
CALIFORNIA 


r- 
'" 


TROUT-FISHING  FOR 
THE  BEGINNER 


By  the  same  Author 

FOX-HUNTING  ON  THE  LAKELAND  FELLS 

ROUGH  SHOOTING. 

THE  BOOK  OF  THE  OTTER 


TROUT  -  FISHING 

FOE    THE    BEGINNER 

BY 
RICHARD  CLAPHAM 

WITH    TWENTY-TWO    DIAGRAMS    BY    THE    AUTHOR 


V 


NEW  YORK 

FREDERICK  A.   STOKES   COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 


Printed  in  England 
by  Butler  &  Tanner, 
Frame  and  London. 


All  Rights  Reserved 


DEDICATED 

TO    MY    WIFE 

WHO     HAS     BEEN     MY 

COMPANION    ON    MANY 

A  PLEASANT  TROUTING 

EXPEDITION 


M84L6470 


PREFACE 

Although  anglers  are  well  supplied  with 
books  pertaining  to  their  favourite  sport, 
the  majority  of  such  volumes  appeals  more 
to  the  practised  fisherman  than  the  novice. 
Many  a  beginner,  however,  is  dependent  on 
books  for  information  regarding  trout-fishing 
and  the  tools  of  the  craft,  and  naturally 
expects  to  find  simple  hints  that  will  start 
him  on  the  road  to  success. 

The  acquisition  of  an  ill- balanced  rod  and 
unsuitable  tackle  tends  to  engender  a  slovenly 
method  of  fishing  that  is  absolutely  detri- 
mental to  good  sport.  A  fair  start,  with  a 
few  simple  but  correct  items  of  outfit,  is 
everything  ;  the  proper  methods  will  then  be 
cultivated  from  the  beginning.  It  is,  there- 
fore, with  the  idea  of  helping  the  beginner 
that  I  have  written  this  book,  and  I  hope 
the  information  contained  therein  may  prove 
useful  to  prospective  anglers  of  both  sexes. 

R.  CLAPHAM. 

TBOUTBECK, 

WlNDEEMERE. 


Vii 


CONTENTS 


2.  Spawning  and  Growth 

3.  Vision,  Hearing  and  Smell 

4.  Feeding 

5.  Is  Fishing  Cruel  ? 


PAGE 

PREFACE vii 

CHAPTER  I 

SECTS.  THE  TROUT 

1.  Appearance  and  Surroundings        .                   .  1 

.  3 

.  5 

.  8 

.  9 

6.  The  Seasons  :    When  and  Where  to  Fish        .  10 

7.  Drainage,  Poachers,  etc. ;    Fishing  a  National 

Asset        .......     13 

CHAPTER  II 
ARTIFICIAL  FLY-FISHING 

1.  The    Supremacy    of    Fly-Fishing    over    other 

Kinds,  as  an  Art  and  a  Sport  .  .  .16 

2.  Upstream  Fishing          .         .         .  .  .20 

3.  Downstream  Fishing     .         .         .  .  .     22 

4.  The  Month  of  May  ;    and  "  Mayflies  "  .  .24 

CHAPTER  III 
THE  ANGLER'S  OUTFIT 

1.  The  Rod .25 

2.  The  Reel      . 30 

3.  The  Line 31 

4.  The  Cast  and  Gut         .....     32 

5.  The  Position  of  the  Flies  on  the  Cast ;  Wet  Fly 

and  Dry  Fly  Fishing          ...  33 

6.  Knots  34 


7.  Always  Soak  your  Gut 

8.  Fly-Book,  Basket  and  Landing-Net 

9.  The  "  Catherine  Wheel  "  Holder  ;  the  Landing 

Net  Carrier ;    the  Cast  Damper 
10.  Waders 


38 

38 

39 
41 


x  CONTENTS 

CHAPTEB  IV 
SECTS.  ARTIFICIAL  FLIES  PAGB 

1.  Two  Theories  why  Fish  take  the  Artificial  Fly    42 

2.  Size  and  Shape  in  an  Artificial  Fly  are  of  more 

importance  in  deceiving  a  Fish  than  Colour 
and  minor  Details     .         .         .         .         .44 

3.  The  "Exact  Imitationistic  "  Fly  and  the  "  Im- 

pressionistic "  ;    Two   different   Theories   of 
Fishing 46 

4.  The  Hackle 50 

5.  Wet  Flies  (or  Flies  to  Gut) ;    The  Gut  and 

Hook 50 

6.  Dry  Flies  :    The  Hackle  and  Hook        .         .     53 

7.  Fly  Patterns 55 

CHAPTEB  V 
WET  AND  DRY  FLY  FISHING 

1.  Casting  the  Fly 58 

2.  Wet  Fly  Fishing  :  Fishing  Downstream  and 

Playing  a  Fish 61 

3.  Upstream  Fishing;  and  Where  to  Fish          .  64 

4.  Wind 66 

5.  "  Keep  your  Flies  in  the  Water  "  .  67 

6.  Dry  Fly  Fishing  :    Outfit  and  Method   .         .  67 

7.  Dry  Fly  Technique 70 

8.  "  Fine  and  as  near  as  you  can  "         .         .         .72 

CHAPTEB  VI 
WORM  AND  MINNOW  FISHING 

1.  Worm  and  Minnow  Fishing  .         .         .         .73 

2.  Worm  Fishing :    Outfit          .         .         .         .74 

3.  Worm  Fishing :    Method ;    Flooded  and  Clear 

Water 75 

4.  Spinning  or  Fishing  the  Minnow  :  Outfit  .         .81 

5.  Spinning  :  Casting  and  Working  the  Minnow     .     83 

6.  Spinning  Upstream       .         .         .         -         .85 


CONTENTS  xi 

CHAPTER  VII 
SECTS.        MAYFLY  AND  LAKE   FISHING         PAGE 

1.  The  Mayfly  and  the  Stonefly         .          .          .87 

2.  Fishing  with  the  Natural  and  Artificial  Mayfly    88 

3.  Fishing  with  the  Natural  and  Artificial  Stone- 

fly    90 

4.  Lake  Fishing :    Outfit  .         .         .  .92 

5.  Where  to  look  for  Fish         .      "'.  '      .         .93 

6.  Trolling  (or  Marling) 94 

CHAPTER  VIII 
NIGHT  FISHING 

1.  The  Angler's  Opportunity      .         .         .         .96 

2.  Flies  and  Method  on  the  River     .          .          .98 

3.  Night  Fishing  with  Gentles  on  Lakes    .         .     99 


DIAGRAMS 

FIGURE  PAGE 

1.  Double  Water  Knot 34 

2.  Double  Fisherman's  Knot    .  .         .35 

3.  Attaching  a  Dropper  Fly    ....  35 

4.  Attaching  a  Dropper  Fly    ....  36 

5.  Attaching  a  Tail  Fly  .         .         .         .         ,36 

6.  Attaching  an  Eyed  Fly  to  Gut   ...  37 

7.  To  Form  a  Jam  Knot         ....  37 

8.  Tiller  Hitch,  used  for  the  same  purpose       .  37 

9.  "  Catherine  Wheel  "  Holder          ...  39 

10.  Landing-Net  Carrier    .....  40 

11.  An  Over-dressed  Fly 52 

12.  Lightly  dressed  Winged  Fly  on  No.  3  Hook.  52 

13.  Lightly  dressed  Spider  Fly  on  No.  3  Hook  .  52 

14.  Upright  Double-winged  Dry  Fly           .         .  53 

15.  McKenzie  Bend  Hook          ....  74 

16.  The  Same  baited  with  Worm      ...  74 

17.  Stewart  Tackle  baited  with  Worm       .         .  75 

18.  Natural  Mayfly 88 

19.  Artificial  Mayfly  (Summer  Duck-Wings)        .  88 

20.  Male  Stonefly 90 

21.  Female  Stonefly 90 

22.  Stonefly  on  Two-Hook  Tackle       .      *  .         .90 


xn 


CHAPTER  I 
THE  TROUT 

§  1.     Appearance  and  surroundings. 

The  common  trout,  or,  to  give  him  his 
scientific  name,  the  Salmo  Fario,  is  indi- 
genous to  the  majority  of  the  rivers  and 
lakes  of  Great  Britain.  In  beauty  of  appear- 
ance, courage,  dash  and  general  sport- 
showing  qualities,  he  easily  holds  first  place 
amongst  our  fishes.  There  are  few  prettier 
pictures  in  nature  than  a  well-conditioned 
trout,  with  his  small  head,  and  depth  of  body, 
the  whole  overlaid  with  brilliant  spots  of 
colour. 

Seldom  do  you  find  two  trout  exactly 
alike,  for  the  colours  vary  considerably  in 
individuals.  While  environment  has  much 
to  do  with  colours  and  markings,  the  food 
supply  is  also  an  important  factor.  Trout 
from  deep,  dark  holes  are  often  exceedingly 
dull  coloured  ;  others  taken  from  the  gravelly 
or  sandy  reaches  of  a  stream  are  generally 

• 


2    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

of  a  much  lighter  shade,  and  dotted  with 
the  most  brilliant  spots.  Occasionally  a 
single  fish  on  a  long  stretch  of  water  will 
be  much  more  conspicuously  coloured  than 
his  fellows.  I  have  known  of  at  least  two 
instances  of  this,  and  succeeded  in  capturing 
both  trout.  Each  one,  when  in  the  water, 
looked  as  yellow  as  a  guinea,  and  when 
disturbed,  was  like  a  bar  of  gold  shooting 
upstream.  The  food  taken  by  these  par- 
ticular trout,  no  doubt,  accounted  for  their 
conspicuous  shade,  although  it  seems  strange 
that  the  other  trout  amongst  which  they 
dwelt  were  all  so  much  darker. 

Trout  fed  chiefly  on  mollusca  become 
more  or  less  dark  in  colour,  with  yellowish 
underparts  and  very  bright  red  spots.  On 
the  other  hand,  a  diet  of  daphnia  and  cyclops 
results  in  the  fish  taking  on  a  silvery  sheen, 
owing  to  certain  light-reflecting  spicules  which 
appear  on  the  scales.  These  spicules  consist 
of  a  substance  known  as  guanin,  which  is 
derived  from  rich  animal  food.  As  much  of 
this  is  to  be  found  in  salt  water,  trout  conse- 
quently acquire  a  silvery  appearance,  when 
they  get  into  the  habit  of  visiting  the  sea. 

In  this  country,  trout  live  in  waters  of 
very  varied  character.  There  are  the  slowly 
flowing  chalk-streams  of  the  south  of  Eng- 


THE   TROUT  3 

land,  where  insect  and  other  food  is  plentiful ; 
there  the  fish  thrive  and  put  on  weight. 
This  also  applies  to  the  trout  of  certain  lakes. 
Whereas,  in  the  Highlands,  and  the  north 
of  England,  the  trout  of  the  burns  and  becks 
are  often  hard  put  to  it  to  secure  a  bare 
sufficiency  of  food. 

§  2.  Spawning  and  growth. 
No  matter  what  their  surroundings,  with 
the  approach  of  autumn  the  trout  migrate  to 
the  spawning  beds,  there  to  reproduce  their 
kind.  Often  they  are  held  up  on  the  way 
owing  to  lack  of  sufficient  water,  but  sooner 
or  later  a  flood  comes,  and  they  leave  the 
pools  and  race  forward  to  their  destination. 
Either  en  route,  or  on  arrival,  the  male 
trout  selects  a  female,  and  the  spawning 
process  begins.  The  female  fish  does  all  the 
work,  fanning  away  the  gravel  with  her 
tail,  until  she  has  made  a  hollow  known  as 
a  "  redd."  Into  this  she  sheds  her  eggs, 
and  as  the  male  fish  fertilizes  them,  by  the 
same  fanning  process  she  covers  them  with 
gravel  and  keeps  moving  slowly  forward. 
The  spawning  period  lasts  for  several  days, 
after  which  the  females  gradually  drop  down- 
stream. The  fish  are  then  thin  and  com- 
pletely out  of  condition.  The  males  do  not 


4    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

invariably  go  down  at  the  same  time  as 
their  wives,  but  often  remain  not  far  from 
the  spawning  grounds,  descending  to  deep 
water  at  a  later  period. 

Roughly  speaking,  the  ova  lie  for  some 
three  months  in  the  gravel,  according  to 
the  temperature  of  the  water.  Prior  to  the 
birth  of  the  alevins,  as  the  newly  hatched 
troutlets  are  called,  these  eggs  go  through  a 
precarious  existence.  Not  only  do  water- 
fowl, rats,  eels,  insects  and  larvae  feed  upon 
them  when  they  can,  but  both  young  trout 
and  late-spawning  fish  greedily  devour  them. 
Some  ova  may  be  buried  by  floods  which 
wash  up  tons  of  gravel,  or  the  water  may 
freeze  solid  in  winter,  which  means  that  the 
eggs  are  crushed  beneath  the  ice.  Only  a 
small  percentage  of  the  eggs  hatch,  which  is 
not  surprising  when  we  consider  the  exigen- 
cies of  their  surroundings. 

When  first  they  see  the  light,  the  alevins 
are  not  fond  of  it,  and  so  bury  themselves 
in  the  gravel.  Later  on,  however,  they 
begin  to  bestir  themselves,  hiding  behind 
the  stones.  Here  again  they  run  the  gauntlet 
of  their  enemies  the  eels,  larvae,  caddis- 
worms  and  so  on,  and  their  ranks  are  still 
further  reduced.  Until  some  weeks  old,  each 
alevin  is  provided  with  a  yolk  sac,  from 


THE  TROUT  5 

which  it  derives  nourishment.  Gradually, 
however,  the  sac  disappears,  and  the  little 
fish  is  able  to  swim  and  go  in  search  of  food 
such  as  water -fleas,  etc.  Thus,  as  they  gain 
strength,  the  alevins  are  capable  of  turning 
the  tables  on  their  smaller  enemies,  and 
"  get  a  bit  of  their  own  back ''  from  the 
larvae  and  caddis-worms.  With  the  return 
of  the  adult  spawning  trout  in  autumn,  the 
alevins  (or  fry)  succeed  in  devouring  a  certain 
number  of  the  eggs.  They  are,  however, 
still  obliged  to  keep  an  eye  open  for  their 
enemies,  which  now  include  the  spawning 
fish  ;  as  well  as  eels,  kingfishers  and  the  like. 
By  the  following  spring,  those  alevins  which 
survive  are  known  as  yearlings,  and  they  then 
begin  to  drop  down  into  deeper  water.  By 
the  time  he  is  a  two-year-old,  the  trout  may 
be  from  six  to  twelve  inches  in  length ;  and 
in  their  third  year  the  females  join  the  throng 
en  route  to  the  spawning  grounds,  where 
they  deposit  their  eggs.  With  luck  a  trout 
may  reach  old  age,  but  if  he  does  he  becomes 
hook- jawed  and  lanky ;  and  he  loses  all 
the  brilliant  colouring  of  his  younger  days. 

§  3.    Vision,  hearing  and  smell. 
In  addition  to  being  endowed  with  remark- 
able activity,  trout  in  power  of   vision  are 


6    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

extraordinarily  acute.  This  is  one  of  the 
first  things  the  angler  will  discover  when 
he  makes  his  initial  attempts  to  lure  them 
to  his  hook.  Unless  you  keep  exactly  behind 
them  and  tread  warily,  your  sole  reward  will 
be  the  sight  of  a  shoal  of  trout  fleeing  for 
their  lives.  The  vision  of  a  trout,  however, 
is  limited  by  the  amount  and  colour  of  the 
water.  In  a  flood,  or  when  the  spate  is 
subsiding,  you  can  stand  and  cast  your  line 
across  or  downstream  without  disturbing  him 
in  the  least,  but  try  the  same  thing  in  summer, 
when  the  water  is  at  its  lowest  and  clearest, 
and  he  will  have  none  of  you.  I  have  noticed 
on  many  occasions  when  fishing  hill-streams, 
that  an  addition  of  an  inch  or  two  of  fresh 
water  makes  all  the  difference  between 
approaching  trout  with  ease,  and  being 
obliged  to  adopt  the  most  careful  stalking 
tactics.  Apparently  a  very  slight  increase  in 
the  volume  of  water  is  sufficient  to  make 
the  fish  approachable.  They  seize  insects 
just  as  readily  then  as  when  the  water  is  low, 
but  their  angle  of  vision,  as  far  as  the  fisher- 
man is  concerned,  appears  to  alter  in  the 
latter's  favour. 

Occasionally  one  meets  an  angler  who 
persists  in  lowering  his  voice  when  in  pursuit 
of  trout,  for  fear  that  they  will  hear  him. 


THE  TROUT  7 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  trout  appear  to  pay  not 
the  least  attention  to  noise  of  any  kind 
outside  the  water.  You  may  fire  a  gun,  or 
shout  as  loud  as  you  like,  and  the  fish  will 
still  lie  there  quite  unconcernedly,  so  long 
as  you  don't  show  yourself  or  make  any 
sudden  movement  within  their  range  of 
vision. 

In  the  case  of  vibration,  however,  the 
trout  is  susceptible  enough.  The  ripples 
caused  by  incautious  wading,  or  the  heavy 
tread  of  an  awkward  foot  on  the  bank,  are 
sufficient  to  cause  him  to  run  for  safety. 
To  kill  trout  successfully  in  low,  clear  water, 
the  angler  must  keep  out  of  sight,  or  in 
other  words  behind  his  fish,  and  when  close 
to  them,  move  quite  slowly.  Many  a  time 
have  I  waded  slowly  up  a  pool  from  the 
lower  end,  when  the  water  was  as  clear  as 
crystal,  and  every  movement  of  the  trout 
lying  there  was  plainly  visible.  One  occasion 
comes  vividly  to  mind,  when  by  careful 
work  I  managed  to  hook  and  bring  to  net 
three  brace  out  of  a  shoal  of  sizeable  fish. 
Under  such  conditions,  however,  each  fish 
hooked  must  be  instantly  hustled  down- 
stream before  the  alarm  is  conveyed  to  his 
neighbours. 

As  to  the  trout's  sense  of  smell,  no  doubt 


8    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

its  olfactory  organs  enable  it  to  find  food, 
otherwise  how  can  we  account  for  a  trout 
taking  a  worm  or  other  bait  when  the  river 
is  thick  with  flood  water  ?  Whether  the 
trout's  nose  warns  him  of  the  approach  of 
his  under-water  enemies  or  not  we  do  not 
know,  but  it  is  pretty  certain  that  his  eyes 
alone  are  his  chief  defence  against  the  approach 
of  human  intruders.  Fish  apparently  owe 
their  security  from  foes  of  their  own  kind 
to  the  fact  that  the  tone  and  colour  of  their 
surroundings  is  reflected  from  their  bodies. 
The  result  is,  they  appear  to  other  fish  as 
mere  ghost-like  forms. 

§  4.    Feeding. 

The  growth,  size,  weight  and  edible  quali- 
ties of  trout  depend  upon  the  quality  and 
amount  of  food  they  can  secure.  The  larger 
and  heavier  a  trout  becomes,  the  less  eager 
is  he  to  rise  at  flies,  confining  his  attentions 
chiefly  to  bottom-food,  and  to  the  lesser 
individuals  of  his  own  kind.  That  trout 
possess  cannibalistic  habits  at  a  very  early 
age  I  have  proved  over  and  over  again 
when  minnow  fishing.  Using  an  artificial 
quill  minnow,  1J  in.  in  length,  I  have  con- 
stantly captured  fish  little  if  any  larger  than 
the  minnow  itself.  Again,  if  a  post-mortem 


THE  TKOUT  9 

is  held  on  a  number  of  trout  brought  to  net, 
some  of  them  are  sure  to  contain  evidence 
confirming  the  above  view.  In  rocky,  hard- 
bottomed  streams,  little  food  accumulates  for 
the  fish,  as  such  rivers  are  constantly  liable 
to  sudden  floods.  Trout  in  these  streams 
are  late  in  getting  into  condition,  whereas 
the  fish  of  the  chalk- streams  in  the  south  of 
England  where  the  current  is  slow,  and  the 
banks  and  bottom  soft,  are  more  forward, 
owing  to  the  superiority  of  the  food  supply. 

§  5.    Is  fishing  cruel  ? 

From  time  to  time  the  supposed  cruelty 
of  fishing  forms  a  subject  for  discussion. 
Although  a  trout  contains  blood,  and  is 
often  distinctly  warm  to  the  touch  when 
taken  out  of  a  cold  stream,  there  is  ample 
evidence  to  prove  that  its  sense  of  feeling 
or  pain  is  practically  nil.  On  several  occa- 
sions I  have  taken  trout  which  showed  the 
result  of  old  wounds,  some  of  the  latter 
having  been  of  such  a  severe  nature  that 
only  a  practically  nerveless  creature  could 
have  survived  them.  Any  angler  of  experi- 
ence can  bring  forward  evidence  to  the  same 
effect.  I  remember  fly-fishing  one  day  on 
a  hill-stream,  when  a  trout  of  about  4  oz. 
rose  to  the  fly,  missed  it,  rose  again,  and 


10    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

was  hooked.  It  fought  remarkably  well  for 
its  size,  and  when  finally  brought  to  net,  a 
length  of  coarse  gut  was  seen  to  be  protrud- 
ing from  its  mouth.  On  opening  it,  a  bait 
hook  was  found  well  down  in  its  stomach, 
yet  neither  the  hook  nor  the  gut  attached  to 
it  seemed  to  inconvenience  the  fish  in  the 
least.  The  trout  was  in  capital  condition, 
and  this  seems  to  prove  that  a  wound  that 
would  very  soon  finish  an  animal  or  a  human 
being  is  a  mere  bagatelle  to  a  fish. 

§  6.  The  seasons  :  when  and  where  to  fish. 
A  knowledge  of  the  places  in  which  trout 
lie  during  different  periods  of  the  season  is 
necessary  for  successful  angling.  Although 
the  season  opens  in  some  districts  as  early 
as  February,  April  is  soon  enough  to  begin 
fishing,  as  prior  to  that  date  the  trout  are 
not  in  good  condition.  In  April  the  best 
sport  will  be  had  in  the  pools.  There  in 
the  deeper  parts  trout  frequent  the  sides, 
but  the  majority  prefer  the  shallow  water 
at  the  pool-foot.  In  May  the  fish  are  greatly 
improved  in  condition,  and  move  into  stronger 
water.  They  will  be  found  about  the  heads 
of  the  pools,  and  scattered  to  some  extent 
throughout  the  streams.  Towards  the  end 
of  the  month  they  are  in  prime  condition, 


THE  TROUT  11 

ana  inhabit  the  strong  streams  and  broken 
water  generally.  There  they  take  up  feeding 
station^  behind  stones,  under  banks,  or  in 
any  place  that  affords  them  shelter.  Early 
in  June  they  begin  to  exhibit  a  disinclination 
to  accept  the  angler's  flies,  becoming  exceed- 
ingly capricious  in  their  behaviour.  In  this 
month  the  Mayfly  makes  its  appearance, 
and  where  there  is  a  good  hatch  of  fly,  the 
trout  gorge  to  repletion.  From  June  to 
August,  fly-fishing  during  the  day  is  often 
a  profitless  business,  but  at  sunset  the  fish 
rise  freely,  and  frequently  continue  to  do  so 
during  the  night.  .  .  .  June  and  July  are 
the  months  in  which  the  clear-water  worm 
should  be  used.  At  this  season  trout  lie 
in  shallow  water,  and  I  have  captured  many 
a  fish  which  showed  a  portion  of  its  back 
above  the  surface.  The  worm  during  the 
day,  and  the  fly  at  dusk,  form  a  killing 
combination  under  midsummer  conditions. 
.  .  .  August,  especially  the  latter  end  of  it, 
is  a  good  month  for  the  fly,  but  the  trout 
begin  to  show  a  visible  falling  off  in  condi- 
tion. In  September  they  leave  the  streams 
and  return  to  the  pools.  They  still  rise 
freely,  and  some  fairly  well-conditioned  fish 
will  be  taken,  affording  sport  until  the  month- 
end,  when  fishing  ceases. 


12     TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

During  midsummer,  that  is  in  May,  June 
and  July,  trout  take  the  minnow  freely,  and 
when  the  water  is  raised  by  rain,  sport  is 
almost  certain.  The  best  time  in  a  flood  is 
when  the  water  is  rising,  and  again  when  the 
flow  is  subsiding.  The  trout  take  minnow 
more  or  less  throughout  the  season,  but  the 
aforementioned  months  are  most  profitable 
to  the  angler. 

We  have  already  mentioned  the  fact  that 
trout,  when  in  condition,  take  up  their  own 
individual  feeding  stations.  A  fish  rising  at  a 
fly  will,  whether  he  seize  his  prey  or  not, 
always  come  back  to  the  exact  spot  he  started 
from.  His  movements  are  generally  ex- 
tremely rapid,  so  fast  in  fact  that  the  eye 
can  barely  follow  them.  If  disturbed  from 
his  particular  hover,  a  trout  is  not  as  a 
rule  long  in  returning  to  it.  His  memory 
is  really  quite  short,  and  he  soon  forgets 
what  were  doubtless  for  him  unpleasant 
incidents.  Anyone  can  easily  prove  this  by 
watching  carefully  the  place  from  which  a 
disturbed  trout  has  fled  ;  and  it  is  surprising 
what  little  effect  such  disturbances  have  on 
the  fish  in  the  generality  of  cases. 

As  previously  mentioned,  trout  often  lie 
with  their  backs  partially  out  of  water 
during  the  hot  weather  in  June  and  July. 


THE  TROUT  13 

I  remember  on  one  occasion  watching  a 
trout  cruising  round  a  very  shallow  pool, 
which  was  divided  from  another  pool  of  like 
nature  by  a  bar  of  sand  and  gravel.  Evi- 
dently tiring  of  its  surroundings,  the  fish 
proceeded  to  wriggle  across  the  wet  gravel, 
and  arrived  safely  in  the  second  pool.  I  then 
dropped  a  small  hackle  fly  just  in  front  of 
its  nose ;  and  it  took  the  lure  greedily, 
eventually  finding  its  way  into  my  basket. 

§  7.    Drainage,  poachers,  etc.  ;  fishing  a  national 

asset.  s;  .  ^ 

In  the  old  days,  before  the  drainage  of 
land  was  thoroughly  taken  in  hand,  our 
streams  were  less  liable  to  sudden  floods. 
To-day  a  river  may  be  running  bank-high  in 
the  morning,  and  by  evening  it  will  be  nearly 
at  its  normal  level  ;  whereas  in  our  grand- 
fathers' time,  the  same  stream  kept  pretty 
full  for  a  week  or  more  after  a  spate,  and 
its  lowest  level  was  then  much  higher  than 
is  the  case  now.  With  surface  water 
finding  its  way  gradually  to  the  river,  trout 
food,  in  the  shape  of  insects,  larvae,  etc.,  plus 
the  mud  on  which  many  of  the  aquatic 
insects  live,  was  more  likely  to  last  longer 
than  is  possible  now  when  a  sudden  rush  of 
water  is  liable  to  carry  everything  before  it. 


14    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

In  addition  to  lack  of  food  caused  by 
floods,  trout  have  nowadays  to  put  up  with 
a  deal  of  discomfort  in  the  way  of  refuse 
from  mills,  roads,  etc.,  which  finds  its  way 
into  the  rivers.  In  many  instances  whole 
stretches  of  water  have  been  depleted  of 
trout  owing  to  this  cause,  and  until  something 
is  done  to  counteract  the  evil,  it  is  only 
waste  of  money  to  restock. 

In  many  streams,  again,  the  normal  level  of 
the  water  is  now  so  low  that  the  fish  suffer 
considerably  from  the  attentions  of  poachers. 
This  is  particularly  noticeable  in  autumn, 
when  the  trout  are  running  up  to  the  spawn- 
ing beds.  Many  of  them  are  temporarily 
stranded  in  the  pools,  and  the  poacher, 
with  his  net  or  spear,  proceeds  to  work  his 
wicked  will  by  capturing  scores  of  fish  which 
would  otherwise  help  to  swell  the  existing 
stock. 

Good  trout  fishing  is  a  great  asset  to  any 
country  district,  and  many  of  our  city  cor- 
porations are  well  aware  of  the  fact,  as  witness 
the  successful  handling  of  such  reservoirs  as 
Blagdon  and  Vyrnwy,  where  the  fly-fishing 
is  of  the  finest  in  the  kingdom.  When  we 
think  of  the  amount  of  sport  that  trout 
afford  to  rich  and  poor  alike,  for  in  many 
districts,  more  particularly  in  the  north  and 


THE  TROUT  15 

west,  the  working-man  has  access  to  the 
rivers,  it  behoves  us  to  do  all  in  our  power 
to  keep  up  the  existing  stock  of  fish.  The 
gamest  of  the  game  in  his  native  element, 
and  a  dainty  addition  to  the  menu,  there 
are  few  if  any  creatures  more  generally  appre- 
ciated than  the  trout. 


CHAPTER  II 
ARTIFICIAL  PLY-FISHING 

§  i.    The  supremacy  of  fly -fishing  over  other 
kinds,  as  an  art  and  a  sport. 

Of  all  the  methods  of  capturing  trout, 
fly-fishing  is  the  cleanest  and  most  sports- 
manlike. There  is  no  messing  with  slippery 
baits  or  wriggling  worms,  no  impaling  of 
natural  insects  on  a  hook,  from  which  they 
flop  off  on  the  slightest  pretext ;  but  in- 
stead the  fish  are  lured  with  a  fly  of  steel 
and  feather,  dressed  in  imitation  of  one  or 
other  of  the  multitudinous  creatures  which 
flutter  about  the  water  during  the  warm 
summer  weather.  Once  become  enamoured 
of  the  art,  and  you  are  a  fly-fisher  for  life. 
Armed  with  a  light  rod,  and  a  few  casts 
and  flies,  you  are  free  to  wander  by  your 
favourite  stream,  and  cast  your  feathered 
lures  like  thistledown  upon  the  surface,  where 
the  ever-widening  rings  mark  the  where- 
abouts of  rising  trout.  Whether  you  visit 

16 


ARTIFICIAL  FLY-FISHING  17 

the  placid  chalk-stream,  the  brawling  beck, 
or  the  crag-bound  mountain  tarn,  the  attrac- 
tion is  ever  the  same.  Drawn  on  by  the 
hope  of  sport,  you  find  yourself  in  places 
where  otherwise  you  might  never  have  ven- 
tured, and  in  your  wanderings  you  gain  an 
intimate  knowledge  of  nature  in  all  her 
varying  moods.  The  sights  and  sounds  of 
summer  are  on  every  hand.  Down  in  the 
valleys  the  woods  resound  with  bird  music, 
while  on  the  heath-clad  hills  the  go  back  ! 
go  back !  of  the  grouse,  and  the  shrill  wail 
of  the  curlew,  seem  fitting  in  their  wild 
surroundings. 

As  you  pass  through  woods  and  fields, 
or  climb  the  mountain's  brow,  the  silvery 
stream  at  last  appears  in  view,  winding  in 
and  out  amongst  the  sedges,  or  cascading 
over  boulders.  Instinctively  you  quicken 
your  footsteps,  all  eager  once  more  to  test 
your  skill.  Hurriedly  you  set  up  the  rod, 
run  the  line  through  the  rings,  and  attach 
a  cast  of  flies.  You  spare  a  moment  to  fill 
a  pipe  and  light  it,  then,  cautiously  approach- 
ing the  bank,  you  send  the  feathered  lures 
upon  their  journey.  They  fall,  softly  as  a 
snowflake,  just  above  the  spot  where  the 
brown  nose  of  a  trout  broke  the  surface.  A 
moment  of  expectancy  as  the  flies  drift  down, 


18    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

a  brief  stoppage  of  the  line,  and  a  quick  move- 
ment of  your  wrist  drives  home  the  steel — 
you  are  fast  in  the  first  trout  of  the  day. 
Wildly  the  fish  dashes  this  way  and  that, 
sometimes  throwing  himself  into  the  air,  but 
by  degrees  his  valiant  struggles  weaken,  and 
at  last  he  turns  on  his  side  and  submits  to 
be  drawn  across  the  net  submerged  beneath 
him. 

It  is  a  lively  and  graceful  art,  this  luring 
and  capturing  of  trout  by  means  of  a  tiny 
hook  and  gossamer  tackle.  There  is  nothing 
coarse  or  clumsy  about  it,  no  "  pull  devil, 
pull  baker  "  business,  but  a  system  of  give 
and  take,  with  hand  and  eye  ever  on  the 
alert  to  counteract  the  gyrations  of  the  strug- 
gling captive.  Nor  does  luck  invariably 
favour  the  angler.  A  too  hasty  strike,  or  a 
too  sudden  pressure  on  the  line  may  instantly 
sever  the  cast,  and  then  the  rod  flies  straight, 
leaving  the  fisherman  lamenting,  while  a 
trout  with  "  a  fly  in  one  cheek,  and  his  tongue 
in  the  other,"  betakes  himself  to  some  hidden 
retreat,  there  to  cogitate  over  the  machina- 
tions of  mankind.  Even  your  most  expert 
fly-fisherman  has  his  trials.  It  is  not  all 
sweets,  when  things  go  right  from  early 
morn  till  dusk.  No,  there  are  days  when 
the  spirit  of  mischief  seems  to  be  abroad, 


ARTIFICIAL  FLY-FISHING  19 

and  very  successfully  does  that  same  spirit 
involve  the  angler  in  various  trying  contre^ 
temps.  Sometimes  fish  after  fish  is  lost  § 
the  last  moment,  sometimes  the  cast  will 
tie  itself  up,  particularly  if  you  are  fishing 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  trees  or  bushes. 
When  these  things  happen,  there  is  nothing 
for  it  but  a  good  hearty  swear,  unless  you 
follow  the  Scotchman's  plan : 

"  The  flask  frae  my  pocket 

I  poured  into  the  socket, 
For  I  was  provokit  unto  the  last  degree ; 

And  to  my  way  o'  thinkin', 

There's  naething  for't  but  drinkin', 
When  a  trout  he  lies  winkin'  and  lauchin'  at  me." 

While  trout  take  a  minnow  with  great  dash, 
affording  an  exciting  moment,  as  the  sudden 
tremor  is  imparted  via  the  rod  to  the  angler's 
arm,  the  thrill  is  greater  still  when  a  good 
fish  rises  at  the  fly.  He  comes  quickly,  and 
with  confidence,  especially  in  fast  water, 
where  he  has  to  take  it  or  leave  it,  there 
being  no  time  for  hesitation.  As  his  mouth 
closes  over  the  fly,  there  ensues  a  tightening 
of  the  line,  and  the  tiny  barbed  hook  is  sent 
well  home.  Then  and  then  only  does  the 
trout  realize  that  he  has  made  a  mistake  and 
got  hold  of  one  of  the  peculiar  species  of 
insects  which  possess  "  hot  feet," 


20    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

One  of  the  great  advantages  of  fly-fishing 
lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is  applicable  to  every 
variety  of  water,  from  the  placid  lake  to  the 
roaring  stream.  It  is  also  the  most  difficult 
phase  of  the  angler's  art.  Clear-water  worm 
fishing  runs  it  close,  but  in  the  one  case  you 
are  angling  with  an  artificial  insect,  and  in 
the  other  with  the  genuine  article  in  the 
shape  of  a  worm.  It  is  easier  to  deceive  with 
the  natural  than  the  artificial,  and  for  this 
reason  fly-fishing  must  certainly  take  the 
palm  as  being  the  more  difficult  of  the  two. 

§  2.  Upstream  fishing. 
In  low,  clear  water,  the  man  who  can  kill 
a  basket  of  trout  by  fishing  the  fly  upstream 
is  a  master  of  his  art.  Until  comparatively 
recent  times,  it  was  the  custom  to  fly-fish 
downstream.  Fish  can  certainly  be  killed 
in  that  way,  especially  when  there  is  a  good 
volume  of  water,  but  it  is  working  on  a 
wrong  principle,  i.e.  advancing  in  front  of 
the  fish  instead  of  keeping  behind  them. 
Again,  when  a  trout  seizes  the  fly,  the  least 
jerk  or  movement  of  the  angler's  wrist  pulls 
the  line  away,  whereas  in  fishing  up,  a  quick 
strike  sends  the  hook  home,  into  the  trout's 
mouth.  Then,  during  the  ensuing  battle, 
the  captive  can  be  rushed  downstream  at 


ARTIFICIAL  FLY-FISHING  21 

once,  and  the  fight  finished  in  water  which 
has  already  been  disturbed.  When  fishing 
up,  the  flies  are  allowed  to  be  borne  down 
by  the  current  in  a  more  or  less  natural 
manner,  whereas  in  downstream  angling 
they  are  often  dragged  across  the  current, 
or  "  worked  "  in  some  unnatural  way  by  the 
fisherman.  Trout  seize  the  natural  insect 
at  the  moment  it  alights  on  the  water,  or 
when  it  is  borne  down  in  a  more  or  less  bat- 
tered condition  beneath  the  surface.  An 
enfeebled  insect  cannot  possibly  attempt  to 
stem  the  current,  so  resigns  itself  to  its  fate, 
and  is  carried  down  willy-nilly.  The  angler 
who  "  works "  his  flies  does  so  no  doubt 
with  the  idea  of  imparting  to  them  an  appear- 
ance of  life,  whereas  he  would  secure  a  much 
more  natural  effect  by  dressing  his  flies  of 
soft  materials,  and  allowing  the  current  to 
do  the  "  working."  Trout  will  take  flies, 
even  when  dragged  across  or  upstream,  but 
the  fish  which  do  so  are  usually  the  very 
smallest,  whereas  in  upstream  angling  many 
heavy  trout  will  be  secured.  Upstream 
fishing  is  certainly  more  difficult  than  casting 
the  flies  across  and  down,  but  it  should  be 
steadily  persevered  with  if  the  angler  wishes 
to  become  a  really  proficient  exponent  of 
the  art. 


22    TKOUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

§  3.  Downstream  fishing. 
Although  in  slow  and  medium  water, 
upstream  casting  should  be  followed ;  in 
rough,  fast  water,  the  downstream  method 
often  pays  better.  We  have  already  seen 
how  a  slight  additional  volume  of  water  in 
a  stream  appears  to  limit  the  trout's  vision, 
and  so  makes  them  approachable ;  the  same 
thing  applies  to  the  rapids.  There  appar- 
ently trout  do  not  rise  at  insects  as  they  do 
in  quieter  portions  of  the  river,  for  unless  a 
fly  appears  practically  right  in  front  or  over 
them,  they  ignore  it.  The  fish  in  the  strong 
water  are  usually  well  fed,  large  and  in  good 
condition,  their  food  supply  being  taken 
from  the  river-bed  or  very  near  it.  There 
are,  of  course,  many  insects  on  and  about 
the  rapids,  but  the  fish  seem  disinclined  to 
go  out  of  their  way  to  take  them,  owing 
chiefly,  I  think,  to  the  fact  that  their  vision 
is  to  some  extent  obscured  by  the  flow.  It 
is  difficult  when  casting  up  in  very  rough 
water  to  make  the  flies  come  down  in  a 
natural  manner  owing  to  the  speed  of  the 
current,  and  the  lures  often  become  entangled 
with  the  main  cast  a  second  or  so  after 
alighting.  This  is  likely  to  alarm  the  trout, 
whereas  by  casting  across  and  down,  any 
drag  on  the  flies  is  unnoticed  in  the  turbu- 


ARTIFICIAL  FLY-FISHING  23 

lence,  and  a  trout  seeing  one  of  the  flies  at 
all  is  quite  likely  to  go  for  it.  At  any  rate, 
I  have  on  scores  of  occasions  fished  carefully 
up  a  rapid,  and  have  then  repeated  the 
operation  downstream,  to  the  great  improve- 
ment of  the  bag. 

In  slow  or  medium  water,  a  downstream 
fly  can  be  seen  by  a  trout  as  it  advances, 
as  it  passes  him,  and  when  taking  its  depar- 
ture. The  fish  has  time  to  inspect  it,  and 
if  he  thinks  it  is  one  of  the  "  hot  feet " 
variety,  he  ignores  it.  In  the  rapids,  however, 
his  first  view  of  the  lure  is  practically  coinci- 
dent with  his  rush  to  take  it,  for,  owing  to 
the  speed  of  its  passage,  he  must  make  up 
his  mind  on  the  instant.  When  the  trout 
seizes  such  a  fly,  he  frequently  turns  round 
and  down ;  thus  the  hook  goes  home,  for 
the  line  is  kept  taut  by  the  current,  and  the 
fish  practically  hooks  himself.  Once  firmly 
hooked,  he  instinctively  runs  further  down- 
stream, and  so  assurance  of  a  good  hookhold 
is  made  doubly  sure,  as  long  as  the  angler 
does  not  bring  too  much  pressure  to  bear 
and  thereby  cause  a  smash. 

It  always  pays  to  fish  the  rapids,  even 
when  trout  are  not  rising  in  the  deeper  water. 
In  the  latter,  when  not  alert  for  flies,  the 
trout  lie  near  the  bottom,  and  so  may  not 


24    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

always  see  your  lures.  In  the  rapids,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  water  is  comparatively 
shallow,  and  even  if  lying  near  the  bottom,  a 
fish  or  two  may  be  tempted,  because  they 
can  hardly  fail  to  see  the  flies. 

§  4.  The  month  of  May ;  and  "  Mayflies" 
Of  all  months  in  the  year,  May  is  the  best 
for  fly-fishing.  In  addition  to  the  beauty 
of  one's  surroundings  at  that  season,  the 
trout  are  then  in  the  best  of  condition  and 
take  our  artificials  freely.  It  is  rather  an 
anomaly  that  the  Mayfly — one  of  the  largest 
insects  to  make  its  appearance  on  and  about 
the  water — seldom  shows  up  in  any  numbers 
till  June,  but  when  it  does  come,  the  trout 
devour  it  greedily,  even  the  largest  fish 
bestirring  themselves  at  this  time.  Very 
heavy  baskets  are  often  made  during  the 
rise  of  this  fly,  and  because  even  the  veriest 
tyro  can  sometimes  prove  successful,  the 
period  has  come  to  be  known  as  "  The 
duffer's  fortnight." 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  ANGLER'S  OUTFIT 

§  1.    The  rod. 

The  beginner  will  be  well  advised  to  com- 
mence with  a  sound  but  simple  outfit ;  with  this 
let  him  practise  diligently,  since  experience 
is  the  best  teacher. 

The  rod  is  the  most  important  item  and 
should  be  chosen  with  care.  For  all-round 
work  on  stream  or  lake,  a  rod  of  from  9  feet 
to  10  feet  6  inches  will  be  found  suitable.  A 
stiffish  fly-rod  will  suffice  also  for  both  minnow 
and  worm  fishing,  until  such  time  as  the 
novice  has  become  proficient,  and  hankers 
after  special  tools. 

"  Built "  rods,  or,  in  other  words,  rods 
made  of  strips  of  split  bamboo  glued  or 
cemented  together,  are  expensive,  but  they 
possess  certain  advantages  over  wooden 
rods.  As  the  outer  skin  of  the  bamboo  is 
preserved  intact,  wet  has  little  effect  upon 
it;  and  on  account  of  the  straightness  of 

25 


26    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

the  grain,  the  material  is  immensely  strong. 
Bamboo  also  does  not  shrink  like  wood,  and 
therefore  is  admirably  suited  to  carry  any 
form  of  metal  ferrules.  A  rod  so  constructed 
is  not  only  extremely  resilient  but  also 
extraordinarily  tough,  and  practically 
unbreakable,  given  anything  like  fair  usage. 
Wooden  rods  are  made  of  greenheart,  blue 
mahoe,  steelwood,  lancewood  and  hickory. 
In  some  cases  hickory  and  greenheart,  or 
whole  cane  and  greenheart,  are  used  in 
conjunction.  Greenheart  is  the  most  widely 
used  rod  wood,  and  though  it  is  brittle  and 
liable  to  break  under  sudden  strain,  unless 
particularly  straight  in  the  grain,  a  rod 
composed  of  it  forms  a  mettlesome  weapon, 
well  suited  to  delicate  fly-fishing.  Wooden 
rods  may  be  strengthened  and  stiffened  by 
the  addition  of  phosphor-bronze  wire  wrap- 
ping, wound  round  the  outside  of  the  joints 
in  diamond  formation.  I  have  used  a  rod 
with  a  whole  cane  butt  and  greenheart  top 
so  wired  for  some  years,  and  it  has  thoroughly 
proved  its  worth.  Wooden  rods,  having 
no  outer  skin,  suffer  to  some  extent  from 
wet,  unless  they  are  kept  varnished. 

Being  a  delicate  instrument,  a  rod  is  liable 
to  damage  in  the  hands  of  a  novice,  and  for 
this  reason  a  split  bamboo  is  best  suited  to 


THE  ANGLER'S  OUTFIT  27 

withstand  the  exigences  of  the  beginner's 
first  season.  Should  he,  nevertheless,  prefer 
to  choose  a  greenheart  rod,  let  him  go  to  a 
first-class  maker,  who  will  provide  him  with 
sound  material,  absolutely  straight  in  the 
grain.  Split  bamboo,  it  is  true,  is  more 
expensive  than  greenheart,  but  lasts  longer. 
With  a  well-made  split-bamboo  rod  of  9  feet 
or  10  feet  the  beginner  can  afford  to  take 
liberties,  whereas  a  greenheart  needs  careful 
usage. 

In  order  to  throw  the  cast  of  flies  accur- 
ately and  neatly,  the  rod  must  not  be  too 
lissome  or  whippy.  It  should  be  fairly  stiff 
and  resilient — like  a  fine,  well-tempered  steel 
blade — and  should  spring  right  from  the 
butt.  It  is  the  spring  of  the  rod,  and  not 
the  angler's  arm,  that  is  responsible  for  the 
throwing  of  the  flies  ;  therefore,  a  mettlesome 
weapon  is  much  preferable  to  one  which 
shows  an  inclination  to  droop. 

Next  in  importance  to  stiffness  and  resili- 
ency, comes  balance,  for  unless  a  rod  is 
balanced  properly,  even  an  expert  angler 
will  fail  to  do  good  work  with  it.  In  the 
great  majority  of  cases  the  point  of  balance, 
when  the  rod  is  laid  across  the  angler's 
finger,  is  much  too  far  from  the  butt,  and 
so  the  rod  is  top-heavy.  With  a  suitable 


28    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

reel  attached,  a  rod  should  balance  at  a  point 
not  more  than  8  inches  from  the  centre  of 
the  reel-seat,  and  if  the  novice  will  get  the 
maker  so  to  balance  the  weapon  at  the  time 
of  purchase,  he  will  acquire  a  neat,  clean 
style  of  casting  much  more  quickly  and 
easily  than  if  he  used  a  top-heavy  rod  such 
as  is  so  often  supplied  by  the  trade.  Even 
if  the  rod  balances  at  a  point  under  the 
8  inches,  its  utility  is  in  no  way  impaired; 
all  the  weight  is  then  in  the  butt,  and  being 
in  the  hand  is  consequently  not  appreciably 
felt.  The  addition  of  a  modern  light-weight 
aluminium-alloy  reel  is  no  detriment  to  the 
balance,  but  I  prefer  a  rod  to  balance 
without  a  reel  attached.  If  one  possesses 
several  rods  so  balanced,  a  single  reel  will 
suffice  for  use  with  all  of  them.  Balance 
should  not  be  corrected  by  means  of  a 
lighter  or  heavier  reel,  but  by  the  addition 
of  weight  in  the  shape  of  lead  let  into 
the  butt  of  the  rod.  The  actual  weight  of 
a  rod,  if  correctly  balanced,  need  give  the 
angler  very  little  concern ;  a  rod,  the  centre 
of  gravity  of  which  is  at  the  right  point, 
would  have  to  be  very  heavy  indeed  before 
its  user  would  be  incommoded  by  its 
weight. 
Rods  of  from  9  feet  to  10  feet  6  in.  in 


THE  ANGLER'S  OUTFIT  29 

length  are  usually  made  in  two  or  three 
joints.  The  fewer  the  joints,  the  less  will 
the  spring  and  power  of  the  rod  be  affected. 
Split-bamboo  rods  can  be  had  in  one  piece, 
and  these  are  excellent  for  anyone  who 
lives  close  to  a  stream  or  lake.  For  conveni- 
ence of  transport  by  rail  or  motor,  jointed 
rods  are  of  course  preferable.  Rod  joints 
are  of  the  plain  suction  type  or  the  "  lock- 
fast "  variety.  There  are  several  of  the 
latter  pattern,  all  of  which  are  satisfactory. 
The  "  lock-fast "  joint  is  slightly  heavier 
than  the  suction  joint,  but  is  firmer  than  the 
latter,  and  entirely  eliminates  any  chance 
of  the  several  portions  of  the  rod  working 
loose  in  action.  The  handle  or  "  hand 
grasp  "  portion  of  the  rod  butt  may  be  of 
plain  wood  or  cork-covered.  Cork  is  easier 
on  the  hand,  and  gives  a  firmer  grip ;  it  is 
convenient  too  for  sticking  the  tail  fly  of  the 
cast  into,  when  the  angler  is  resting  or  moving 
from  place  to  place.  The  metal  ferrules 
which  compose  the  joint  or  joints  may 
occasionally  show  signs  of  looseness  on 
wooden  rods  owing  to  a  slight  shrinking  of 
the  wood,  whereas  with  bamboo  rods  this 
does  not  happen. 

Reiterating  the  desirable   qualities  in   the 
rod,  we  have  stiffness  and  resiliency,  and  in 


30    TROUT-FISHING   FOR   THE  BEGINNER 

the  case  of  the  split  bamboo,  toughness.  If 
to  the  above  is  added  perfect  balance,  we 
possess  a  weapon  which  combines  power  and 
accuracy  in  casting  to  a  marked  degree. 
Fitted  with  such  a  rod,  the  beginner  acquires 
correct  style  from  the  first,  and  avoids  bad 
habits  that  have  to  be  unlearnt  later.  .  .  . 
There  are  plenty  of  cheap — and  in  most  cases 
nasty — rods  on  the  market,  and  the  beginner 
will  be  well  advised  to  make  his  initial  pur- 
chase from  some  well-known  maker,  whose 
price  may  perhaps  be  thought  a  trifle  high, 
but  whose  goods  will  be  found  the  cheapest 
and  most  satisfactory  in  the  long  run. 

§  2.    The  red. 

Holding  the  line,  and  attached  to  the  rod 
by  a  simple  fastening,  is  the  reel.  Reels  are 
now  made  narrow  and  deep,  to  ensure  quick 
winding,  and  are  generally  constructed  of 
aluminium-alloy.  This  material  is  light ; 
the  only  drawback  is  that  when  wet  a  white 
oxide  forms  upon  it.  If  this  oxide,  however, 
is  wiped  off  on  the  angler's  return  it  in  no 
way  impairs  the  metal.  For  a  9-foot  or  10- 
foot  rod,  a  3-inch  reel  such  as  Hardy's 
"  Uniqua  "  pattern  will  be  found  quite  suit- 
able. I  must  warn  the  beginner  against 
the  purchase  of  cheap  reels,  many  of  which, 


THE  ANGLER'S   OUTFIT  31 

to  all  outward  appearances  are  sound  enough. 
I  was  myself  badly  had  on  one  occasion  with 
a  reel  of  this  sort,  the  interior  working  parts 
of  which  were  composed  of  brass  instead  of 
steel.  A  good  reel,  which  will  quickly  come 
apart  for  cleaning  and  oiling  purposes,  may 
prove  a  bit  expensive  at  first,  but  it  will  last 
a  lifetime  with  ordinary  usage. 

§  3.  j  The  line. 

The  line  runs  from  the  reel  through  rings 
attached  to  the  rod.  These  rings  are  of  two 
patterns,  i.e.  "  snake  "  and  "  bridge."  The 
latter  are  to  be  preferred,  as  they  keep  the 
line  clear  of  the  rod,  and  in  wet  weather 
prevent  it  from  sticking  or  dragging.  In 
order  to  work  properly,  the  thickness  and 
weight  of  the  line  must  be  in  proportion  to 
the  power  and  spring  of  the  rod.  A  very 
light  line  takes  quite  as  much  out  of  a  rod  as 
a  line  that  is  too  heavy.  The  beginner,  if 
left  to  choose  for  himself,  is  likely  to  err  on 
the  side  of  lightness,  for  usually  the  correct 
line  is  rather  thicker  than  he  will  think  proper. 
Any  of  the  first-class  rod  makers  will  supply 
a  line  most  suitable  to  the  length  and  power 
of  the  rod,  and  the  choice  is  therefore  best 
left  to  them.  Lines  may  be  had  single-  and 
double-tapered,  but  the  beginner  will  find  a 


32    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

parallel  line,  i.e.  one  which  is  all  of  the  same 
thickness,  best  for  his  purpose.  Here  again 
it  is  advisable  to  purchase  the  best  one  can 
afford,  for  a  really  well-made  line  will  last 
for  many  seasons.  After  use,  if  wet,  it  should 
be  hung  in  loose  coils  in  a  warm  room  to  dry, 
for  a  wet  line  left  on  a  reel  is  liable  to  rot, 
even  if  made  of  the  best  material. 

§  4.  The  cast  and  gut. 
Attached  to  the  line  is  the  cast,  to  which 
the  fly  or  flies  are  fastened.  The  cast  was  in 
former  days  composed  of  horse-hair,  but  gut 
has  now  taken  its  place.  Gut  casts  vary  in 
length,  3  yards  being  the  usual  measurement. 
With  a  9-foot  rod,  I  personally  prefer  a  cast 
of  from  7  feet  6  inches  to  8  feet,  so  that  the 
gut  is  never  likely  to  be  drawn  through  the 
tip-ring  of  the  rod  when  reeling  in  a  fish 
Casts  may  be  had  parallel  or  tapered ;  the 
beginner  will  find  the  latter  best  suited  to 
his  requirements.  The  thinner  the  cast,  the 
better ;  but  due  consideration  must,  of 
course,  be  given  to  the  average  size  of  the  fish 
likely  to  be  caught.  The  beginner,  however, 
will  be  well  advised  to  fish  with  a  cast  of 
medium  thickness,  until  he  has  acquired 
sufficient  delicacy  of  control  in  the  handling 
of  his  rod.  A  cast  tapering  from,  say,  stout 


THE  ANGLER'S  OUTFIT  33 

trout  to  3x  will  about  meet  the  question. 
As  the  line  forms  a  continuous  taper  with 
the  rod,  the  tapered  cast  is  in  keeping  with 
it.  Should  a  fish,  or  careless  handling  on 
the  angler's  part,  break  the  cast,  a  tapered 
one  will  not  be  altogether  lost,  for  the  gut 
will  part  at  the  thinnest  point ;  a  level  cast' 
on  the  other  hand,  may  break  close  to  the 
line.  There  are  various  cheap  substitutes 
for  gut  on  the  market,  but  none  of  them  are 
to  be  recommended.  Good  gut  is  more  or 
less  expensive,  but  the  best  is  the  cheapest 
in  the  long  run.  Before  being  used  or  tied, 
gut  should  be  soaked  in  cold  water  until  it  be- 
comes soft  and  pliant,  otherwise  it  will  break. 

§  £>.    The  position  of  the  flies  on  the  cast ;  wet 

fly  and  dry  fly  fishing. 
In  wet  fly  fishing,  i.e.  when  using  the  flies 
partially  or  wholly  submerged,  three  flies  are 
fastened  to  the  cast  by  short  lengths  of  gut ; 
on  a  small  stream  two  flies  are  often  sufficient. 
The  end  fly  is  known  as  the  tail  fly,  and  the 
two  above  it  as  the  droppers.  Roughly 
speaking,  the  first  dropper  should  be  attached 
about  3  feet  above  the  tail  fly,  and  the  second 
dropper  the  same  distance  above  the  first ; 
this  distance  may  be  shortened  on  a  small 
stream,  or  two  flies  may  be  used  instead  of 


34    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

three.  In  dry  fly  fishing,  of  which  I  shall 
speak  later,  the  fly  is  built  up  on  an  eyed 
hook,  and  attached  directly  to  the  fine  end 
of  the  cast.  Eyed  hooks  are  unsuitable  for 
dropper  flies,  as  they  have  too  much  play, 
and  are  constantly  becoming  entangled  with 
the  main  cast.  An  eyed  fly  may,  however, 
be  used  as  the  tail  fly  of  a  cast,  in  which 
position  its  free  play  will  enhance  rather 
than  spoil  its  attractiveness. 

The  dropper  flies  should  not  hang  lower 
than  3  inches  from  the  cast,  for,  if  they  do, 
they  continually  become  entangled  with  it. 
The  shorter  the  gut  to  which  they  are  attached, 
the  better  will  they  stand  out  from  the  cast ; 
but  if  they  are  too  close  they  are  apt  to  be 
more  or  less  alarming  to  the  trout. 

§6.    Knots. 

The  following  knots  will  be  found  suitable 
for  mending  a  broken  gut  cast ;  attaching  the 


FIG.  1. — DOUBLE  WATER  KNOT. 

cast  to  the  reel  line  ;  fastening  tail  and  dropper 
flies  to  the  cast  and  eyed  flies  to  the  gut. 


THE  ANGLER'S  OUTFIT 


35 


No.  I  represents  the  Double  Water  Knot. 
This  may  be  tied  single,  but  is  liable  to 
slip  when  so  tied. 


FIG.  2. — DOUBLE  FISHERMAN'S  KNOT. 


No.  2  is  the  Double  Fisherman's  Knot, 
which  is  also  liable  to  slip,  if  tied  single. 
Both  these  knots  are  used  in  mending  a 


FIG.  3. — ATTACHING 
A  DROPPER  FLY, 


36    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 


broken  gut  cast,  or  in  making  up  a  new  cast. 
When  the  Fisherman's  Knot  is  used,  the 
two  portions  of  it  may  be  pulled  apart,  as 
in  Fig.  3,  and  a  dropper  fly  inserted  by  pas- 
sing the  knotted  end  of  the  dropper  gut 
between  the  strands  of  the  main  cast;  the 
double  knots  are  then  drawn  together,  and 
the  dropper  knot  pulled  down  close. 

A  n  other 
method  of 
attaching  a 
dropper  is  to 
tie  a  small 
loop  at  the 
end  of  the 
dropper  gut, 
and  then 

fasten  the  dropper  above  a  knot  on  the  cast, 
as  in  Fig.  4.  The  loop  should  be  kept  as 
small  and  neat  as  possible. 

The  tail  fly,  if  on  gut,  may  be  tied  to  the 


FIG.  4. — ATTACHING  A  DROPPER  FLY. 


FIG   5. — ATTACHING  A  TAIL  FLY. 

end  of  the  cast  by  the  Double  Fisherman's 
Knot  or  the  Double  Water  Knot.  Another 
way  that  permits  of  an  easy  change  of  fly 


THE  ANGLER'S  OUTFIT 


37 


is  by  looping  the  end  of  gut  cast  and  dropper 
gut,  and  then  passing  the  fly  through  loop  as 
in  Fig.  5. 


FIG.  6. — ATTACHING  AN  EYED  FLY  TO  GUT. 

Fig.  6  shows  a  suitable  knot  for  attaching 
an  eyed  fly  to  gut. 


FIG.  7. — To  FORM  A 
JAM  KNOT. 


FIG.  8. — TILLEB  HITCH,  USED 
FOB  THE  SAME  PURPOSE. 


Figs.   7  and  8  show  two  Jam  Knots  suit- 
able for  attaching  the  gut  cast  to  the  reel 


38    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

line.  Fig.  8  is  known  as  the  "  Tiller  Hitch." 
It  is  rather  clumsy,  but  can  be  easily  untied 
in  the  dark  by  a  pull  on  the  loose-end  of 
the  main  line. 

§  7.  Always  soak  your  gut. 
Before  attempting  to  tie  gut,  again  let  me 
warn  the  beginner  to  be  sure  to  soak  it  well 
in  cold  water,  until  it  becomes  thoroughly 
soft  and  pliable.  A  made-up  cast  should 
likewise  be  soaked  before  commencing  to 
fish.  It  saves  time  to  soak  the  cast  at  home, 
and  then  place  it  in  a  metal  cast  case  between 
sheets  of  damp  felt.  The  cast  will  then  be 
perfectly  pliable  on  arrival  at  the  water-side. 
After  use,  casts  should  be  dried  before  being 
put  away  in  the  fly-book,  for  if  left  in  the 
damper  case  the  hooks  soon  become  rusty. 

§  8.  Fly-book,  basket  and  landing-net. 
In  addition  to  the  items  already  enumer- 
ated, the  novice  will  require  a  fly  receptacle 
of  some  kind,  which  may  consist  of  a  leather 
pocket-book  with  a  compartment  at  each  end, 
and  a  number  of  parchment  pages  containing 
smaller  pockets,  a  basket  or  bag,  and,  where 
fish  run  to  any  size,  a  landing-net.  At  any 
good  tackle  makers  he  will  find  ample  choice 
of  these  things.  A  wicker  creel  takes  up  more 


THE  ANGLER'S  OUTFIT  39 

room  than  a  bag,  but  it  keeps  fish  in  better 
condition,  as  it  crushes  them  less.  As  far  as 
the  landing-net  is  concerned,  a  folding  pattern 
is  the  handiest  for  river  fishing ;  but  on  a 
lake,  when  one  is  fishing  from  a  boat,  a  long- 
handled  net  is  a  decided  advantage,  since 
leverage  can  be  obtained  in  lifting  a  heavy 
trout  by  resting  a  portion  of  the  net-handle 
under  one's  elbow. 

§9.    The    "Catherine    Wheel"    holder;     the 
landing-net  carrier ;  the  cast  damper. 

As  the  beginner  gains  experience,  he  will 
by  degrees  keep  adding  various  other  items 


FIG.  9. — "  CATHERINE  WHEEL  "  HOLDER. 

— useful  and  otherwise — to  his  angling  outfit. 
One  of  the  handiest  little  contrivances  for 


40    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

holding  flies  to  gut  is  known  as  the  "  Catherine 
Wheel "  holder.  It  consists  of  a  circular 
celluloid  tube,  into  which  the  lengths  of  gut 
are  easily  slipped,  and  out  of  which  a  single 
fly  to  gut  can  be  just  as  easily  extracted  when 
required.  The  whole  thing  fits  comfortably 

into  a  pocket  of  the 
fly-book.  Another 
handy  article  is  a 
landing-net  carrier, 
consisting  of  a  metal 
ring  attached  to  a 
strong  safety  pin ;  this 
pin  can  be  stuck  into 
one's  jacket  in  a  con- 
venient position,  and 
saves  carrying  the  net 
on  the  basket  strap, 


FIG.  10. — LANDING-NET 


where    it    is    always 

more  or  less  in  the  way.  Mention  has 
already  been  made  of  the  cast  damper.  This 
is  usually  a  circular  metal  box,  made  of  alu- 
minium, copper,  or  japanned  tin.  The  two 
latter  metals  are  prerfeable  to  aluminium, 
as  it  oxidizes  when  wet,  and  if  the  sheets 
of  damp  felt  are  left  in  the  box  for  long, 
they  cause  holes  to  appear  in  the  lid  or 
bottom  of  the  damper. 


THE  ANGLER'S  OUTFIT  41 

§  10.    Waders. 

In  order  to  fish  the  majority  of  streams 
properly,  it  is  necessary  to  wade,  and  for  this 
reason  a  pair  of  waders  should  be  added  to 
the  outfit.  These  may  be  had  in  the  form 
of  wading  stockings  or  breeches,  over  the  feet 
of  which  are  worn  thick  woollen  socks  and 
brogues.  The  socks  prevent  the  entrance  of 
grit  between  the  brogues  and  stockings,  but 
they  themselves  become  waterlogged  and 
clumsy.  Handy,  though  at  the  present  time 
somewhat  expensive,  are  the  combined 
waders,  consisting  of  stockings  with  light  but 
substantial  footgear  permanently  attached. 
We  much  prefer  them  to  all  other  forms  of 
waders.  Cheap  and  more  or  less  efficient 
waders  can  now  be  had  in  the  shape  of  the 
hip-length  rubber  boots,  as  worn  in  the 
trenches.  The  rubber  heels  can  be  nailed, 
but  the  soles  cannot  be  so  treated.  If,  how- 
ever, one  gets  a  pair  of  light  "  ice  creepers  " 
made,  consisting  of  a  metal  frame  or  sole, 
with  spikes  attached,  they  can  be  strapped 
to  the  feet,  and  most  effectually  prevent 
slipping  on  a  stony  river-bed. 


CHAPTER  IV 
ARTIFICIAL  FLIES 

§  1.    Two  theories  why  fish  take  the  artificial 

fly- 
Just  how  or  when  the  first  artificial  trout 
fly  was  made  it  is  impossible  to  tell.  No 
doubt  some  old-time  hunter  noticed  that  the 
fish  were  feeding  on  certain  insects,  and, 
finding  that  the  insects  were  not  particularly 
lasting  when  affixed  to  a  crude  hook,  he 
thereupon  attempted  to  construct  a  service- 
able imitation.  Since  then  great  improve- 
ments have  taken  place  in  fly  tying,  until 
to-day  we  have  imitations  of  most  of  the 
insects  found  on  and  about  our  lakes  and 
rivers,  plus  a  good  many  "  fancy  "  flies,  which 
have  no  prototypes  amongst  the  naturals. 
An  artificial  fly  is,  of  course,  designed  with 
the  idea  of  deceiving  trout.  It  is,  therefore, 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  closer  it  is  in 
appearance  to  the  natural  insect,  the  more 
will  the  fish  approve  of  it.  Now,  there  are 

42 


ARTIFICIAL  FLIES  43 

two  schools  of  anglers,  one  of  which  believes 
in  the  efficiency  of  what  we  may  term  the 
exact  imitation  trout  fly,  while  the  other 
believes  that  the  fish,  when  in  a  feeding 
humour,  will  take  any  pattern  of  fly,  so  long 
as  it  is  not  abnormal  in  size  or  shape. 

If  we  collect  a  variety  of  natural  insects 
and  lay  them  alongside  our  artificials,  it  does 
not  require  a  microscope  to  discover  the  fact 
that  even  the  neatest  and  best  tied  of  imita- 
tions is  extremely  crude  in  comparison  with 
the  beautiful,  ethereal  creatures  which  spend 
their  brief  lives  near  the  water.  The  natural 
insects  are  either  up-winged,  or  flat-winged. 
The  former  carry  their  wings  straight  up 
above  their  backs  when  at  rest,  while  the 
latter  hold  theirs  in  close  proximity  to  their 
bodies.  Artificial  flies  are  tied  in  like  manner, 
feathers,  silk,  tinsel,  etc.,  being  used  to  repre- 
sent the  various  parts ;  and  many  are  so  well 
tied  that  to  human  eyes  they  appear  satis- 
factory enough  when  out  of  water  ;  but  once 
they  are  submerged,  they  take  on  quite  a 
different  appearance. 

Seeing  that  it  is  a  fact  that  even  the  best 
of  our  artificial  flies  are  but  crude  representa- 
tions of  their  natural  prototypes,  there  is 
reason  for  supposing  that  trout  are  not  so 
particular  in  their  choice  as  some  people 


44    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

would  have  us  believe.  There  come  certain 
days  in  every  season  when  the  fish  take  the 
flies  so  ravenously  that  they  could  hardly 
exhibit  greater  eagerness,  and  they  continue 
to  seize  them  even  after  the  major  portion 
of  the  dressing  has  been  torn  away.  Now, 
if  a  trout  possessed  a  keen  eye  for  detail  in 
the  insects  on  which  he  feeds,  he  would  never 
accept  our  artificials  at  all,  for  even  in  our 
eyes  these  artificials  are  very  far  from  being 
exact  copies.  Then,  again,  certain  of  our 
flies  are  tied  as  hackles,  or  "  spiders,"  i.e. 
without  wings.  Most  of  these  spiders  are 
very  lightly  dressed,  with  spare  silk  bodies 
and  soft  feather  hackles.  Out  of  the  water 
they  bear  no  resemblance  to  any  particular 
insect,  but  when  submerged,  with  their  soft 
feathers  flickering  to  the  action  of  the  current, 
they  prove  very  attractive  to  the  fish. 

§  2.   Size  and  shape  in  an  artificial  fly  are 
of  more  importance  in  deceiving  a  fish 
than  colour  and  minor  details. 
Thus,    although    many   anglers    set   great 
store  by  the  colour  and  details  of  their  arti- 
ficial flies,  practical  experience  leads  us  to 
believe  that  size  and  shape  are  of  far  greater 
importance.     Trout  are  full  of  curiosity,  for 
they  will  rise  to  investigate  matches,  shreds 


ARTIFICIAL  FLIES  45 

of  tobacco,  and  various  other  objects  thrown 
upon  the  water.  Some  of  these  things  a  fish 
will  take  into  its  mouth  and  then  spit  out 
again ;  so  it  is  not  exactly  surprising  that 
they  accept  our  crudely  tied  flies,  under  the 
impression  that  they  are  genuine.  Seen 
through  the  medium  of  a  certain  volume  of 
water,  and  particularly  if  the  water  is  in 
motion,  an  artificial  fly  must  appear  as  a 
kind  of  blur,  or  as  a  silhouette  against  a  back- 
ground of  sky.  The  fly  may  indeed  show  a 
certain  amount  of  iridescence,  but  the  actual 
colour  or  colours  of  the  dressing  are  lost.  For 
this  reason  we  are  of  the  opinion,  having 
practically  tested  the  matter  on  the  river 
again  and  again,  that  colour,  like  minor 
details  of  construction,  has  little  or  nothing 
to  do  with  the  efficiency  of  an  artificial  trout 
fly.  When  we  come  to  size  and  shape,  how- 
ever, we  must  use  discretion,  for  though  a 
fish  sees  a  fly  as  a  silhouette,  he  is  quite 
capable  of  distinguishing  between  the  normal 
and  the  abnormal  in  shape  and  magnitude. 
Even  then,  if  the  abnormally  large  fly  is  used 
in  a  manner  so  that  it  may  be  taken  for  some- 
thing else,  the  trout  will  not  refuse  it.  Sink 
a  fly  like  the  Alexandra,  or  in  fact  any  large 
fly,  work  it  along  with  short  jerks,  and  ten 
to  one  it  will  be  seized  by  a  trout,  under  the 


46    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

impression  that  it  is  a  minnow  in  distress, 
some  luscious  underwater  larva  or  other 
desirable  tit-bit.  Fish  a  cast  of  the  same 
sized  flies  upstream  in  clear  water,  and  the 
trout  will  have  none  of  them,  for  handled  in 
such  a  manner  they  appear  abnormally  large 
amongst  the  natural  insects,  and  the  way 
they  are  shown  to  the  fish  does  not  give  them 
the  appearance  of  minnows. 

Your  really  keen  angler  soon  learns  by  ex- 
perience and  formulates  his  own  pet  theories 
on  artificial  trout  flies.  In  the  case  of  the 
beginner,  however,  there  is  a  long  list  of 
different  patterns  from  which  he  can  make 
his  initial  choice,  all  of  which  are  proved 
killers,  and  with  a  selection  of  them  in  his 
fly-book,  he  can  hardly  go  far  wrong  during 
his  first  season. 

§3.  The  "Exact  Imitationistic"  fly  and  the 
"  Impressionistic "  ;  two  different 
theories  of  fishing. 

The  majority  of  river  insects  are  extremely 
neat  and  light  of  form  ;  it,  therefore,  behoves 
the  angler  to  dress,  or  have  his  flies  dressed 
in  like  manner.  Not  only  is  a  neat,  lightly 
dressed  fly  more  like  the  natural  insect,  but 
the  hook,  especially  in  the  smaller  sizes,  gets 
a  better  chance  of  taking  hold.  The  majority 


ARTIFICIAL  FLIES  47 

of  flies  supplied  by  the  trade,  more  especially 
the  winged  flies,  are  sadly  overdressed,  and 
thus  much  of  their  killing  efficiency  is  wasted. 
The  natural  insects  found  on  and  about  the 
water  belong  to  many  different  species,  and 
they  are  hatched  at  their  own  particular 
seasons  ;  therefore,  the  exact  imitation  theor- 
ists use  different  flies  for  different  months, 
and  often  change  patterns  several  times 
during  the  course  of  a  day's  fishing.  Those, 
however,  who  set  small  store  by  colour  and 
detail,  use  comparatively  few  flies  of  an 
"  impressionistic "  character,  their  general 
shape  and  size  alone  being  roughly  approxi- 
mate to  the  proportions  of  the  natural 
insect. 

The  mode  of  procedure  of  the  two  schools 
also  differs.  The  imitationist  notes  the  species 
of  insect  on  which  the  trout  are  feeding  for 
the  time  being,  and  he  then  affixes  to  his  cast 
a  fly  or  flies  in  duplicate  thereof.  If  the  fish 
ignore  these  patterns,  he  replaces  them  with 
others,  these  also  being  imitations  of  insects 
on  or  about  the  water  at  the  time.  It  may 
be  that  certain  insects  are  late  in  appearing, 
but  this  does  not  deter  the  angler  from  using 
artificials  of  those  patterns,  if,  in  his  estima- 
tion, the  time  is  really  ripe  for  the  arrival  of 
the  naturals.  Thus,  on  a  day  when  trout  are 


48    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

dour  and  hard  to  rise,  the  angler  tries  change 
after  change  of  fly  until  with  luck  the  fish 
begin  to  bestir  themselves.  The  idea  behind 
the  changing  is  that  the  trout  are  waiting  for 
a  certain  pattern  of  fly,  and  until  this  is 
offered  them,  they  refuse  to  take  notice.  I 
am  afraid,  however,  that  a  fallacy  lurks  in 
this  proceeding,  of  which  proof  is  easily 
obtained.  If,  when  the  trout  begin  to  rise 
at  the  last  change  of  fly,  the  latter  be  removed 
and  replaced  by  the  original  pattern  first 
employed,  it  will  be  found  that  nine  times 
out  of  ten  the  fish  show  equal  eagerness  to 
take  it.  At  any  rate  I  have  put  this  theory 
into  practice  times  without  number  on  various 
streams,  and  so  far  it  has  seldom  failed. 
Apparently  sport  becomes  brisk  owing  to  a 
change  in  the  humour  of  the  trout  rather 
than  to  the  change  of  fly. 

Having  left  the  imitationist  at  work,  let 
us  stroll  farther  upstream,  and  see  how  our 
friend  who  favours  "impressionistic"  flies 
is  faring.  He  is  hard  at  work,  and  appears 
to  be  having  quite  as  good  sport  as  his  brother 
angler  lower  down.  If  we  look  into  his  fly- 
book,  we  shall  probably  find  there  some  half- 
dozen  different  patterns  at  the  most,  and  it 
will  not  surprise  us  if  there  are  only  three  or 
four  patterns  of  the  type  he  favours.  Some 


ARTIFICIAL  FLIES  49 

will  be  winged  flies,  but  the  majority  are  sure 
to  be  spiders,  i.e.  flies  without  wings.  He 
opens  the  ball  with,  say,  a  winged  fly  as  top 
dropper  and  two  spiders  below.  Like  the 
imitationist,  he  finds  sport  dull  at  first,  but 
his  maxim  is  that  of  the  Scotch  gillie,  "  aye 
keep  your  flees  i'  the  wather,"  and  so  he  pegs 
away,  until  suddenly  a  fish  or  two  begin  to 
show  themselves  and  eventually  sport  becomes 
lively.  On  a  really  good  day,  when  the  trout 
rush  at  the  flies  as  if  demented,  there  will  be 
little  difference  in  the  weight  of  the  baskets 
of  the  two  anglers,  provided  they  are  more 
or  less  equal  in  the  matter  of  skill.  This 
seems  to  point  to  the  fact  that  a  so-called 
exact  imitation  trout  fly  is  in  no  way  superior 
to  an  "  impressionistic  "  fly  in  the  killing  of 
fish.  When  trout  are  really  in  the  humour, 
and  provided  both  types  of  fly  are  normal 
in  size  and  shape,  one  is  just  as  good  as  the 
other ;  but  when  the  fish  are  dour,  neither 
type  is  capable  of  rousing  them  from  their 
lethargy.  I  have  briefly  touched  on  the 
theorists  of  the  two  schools,  for  sooner  or 
later  the  beginner  will  have  to  decide  for 
himself  which  theory  he  will  put  into  practice. 
After  all,  experience  is  the  best  teacher,  so 
I  think  we  can  safely  leave  him  to  sort 
matters  out  unaided. 


50    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

§  4.   The  hackle. 

In  comparing  a  natural  with  an  artificial 
fly,  probably  the  first  thing  the  beginner 
will  notice  is  that  the  former  possesses  much 
fewer  legs  than  are  represented  by  the  feather 
hackle  on  the  latter.  There  is  a  reason  for 
this — if  the  artificial  had  but  three  or  four 
single  whisks  of  feather,  it  would  be  apt  to 
fall  on  the  water  with  a  splash,  no  matter 
how  carefully  the  angler  made  his  cast.  The 
extra  hackle  in  the  artificial  acts  as  a  buffer 
between  the  fly  and  the  water,  enabling  the 
fly  to  alight  softly  and  in  a  natural  manner. 

§  5.    Wet  flies  (or  flies  to  gut) :  The  gut  and 

hook. 

Wet  flies,  otherwise  known  as  flies  to  gut, 
or  in  other  words  flies  which  are  fished  beneath 
the  surface,  are  tied  on  short  lengths  of  gut. 
This  should  be  as  fine  as  is  consistent  with 
the  skill  of  the  angler  and  the  average  size 
of  the  trout  he  expects  to  catch.  Fine  gut 
is  quite  as  important  as  a  neat  and  lightly 
tied  fly,  for  it  is  much  less  visible  and  dis- 
turbing to  trout  than  coarse  gut.  As  the 
vision  of  a  trout  is  curtailed  by  even  a  small 
additional  volume  of  water,  it  is  customary 
to  use  flies  of  various  sizes,  according  to  the 
height  and  volume  of  the  stream  at  the  time. 


ARTIFICIAL  FLIES  51 

When  a  flood  is  subsiding  or  the  river  is 
rising,  rather  larger  flies  should  be  used  than 
when  the  water  is  at  its  normal  level.  In 
low,  clear  water,  such  as  one  often  experi- 
ences in  June  and  July,  quite  small  flies  on 
the  finest  gut  will  always  rise  more  fish  than 
larger  sizes.  It  should  be  remembered,  how- 
ever, that  flies  dressed  on  the  smallest-sized 
hooks,  such  as  00  and  0,  take  a  very  shallow 
hold,  and  though  they  may  rise  more  trout 
than  flies  dressed  on  larger  sizes,  such  as  1 
and  2,  more  fish  will  be  secured  by  the  latter, 
as  they  bite  deeper.  It  pays,  therefore,  to 
use  the  largest-sized  hooks  consistent  with 
the  state  of  the  water  and  the  mood  of  the 
fish.  In  the  hands  of  an  expert  angler,  the 
larger-sized  hooks  do  wonderful  execution, 
even  in  the  clearest  water,  but  then  the 
dressing  on  them  is  always  kept  to  the  smallest 
possible  dimensions.  When  trout  are  taking 
really  freely,  the  flies  are  often  torn  to  pieces 
by  the  teeth  of  the  fish.  So  keen  are  they 
that  I  have  known  them  take  a  spider  fly, 
and  take  it  ravenously,  when  every  particle 
of  feather  had  been  stripped  from  it,  and 
nothing  but  the  bare  silk  dressing  of  the  body 
remained. 

Wet  flies  are  dressed  on  either  sneck  bend 
or  round  bend  hooks.     In  the  sneck  hook. 


52    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 


the  point  is  turned  outwards  to  some  extent, 
which  is  not  the  case  with  the  round  bend. 
I  prefer  the  latter,  because  once  the  point 
penetrates,  there  is  a  dead  straight  pull, 
whereas  when  the  line  tightens  on  a  sneck 
hook,  the  pull  is  out  of  the  straight.  Round 
bend  hooks  are  less  likely  to  scrape  and  lose 
their  hold  than  the  sneck 
bend.  Whichever  type  of 
hook  is  used,  the  dressing 
of  the  fly  should  in  no  way 
interfere  with  the  hook- 
point.  In  an  over-dressed 
fly  the  hackle  is  often  in- 
clined to  do  so.  An  arti- 
ficial fly  being  extremely  light  in  weight,  even 
a  small  whisk  of  feather  is  sufficient  to  deflect 
the  hook  if  the  trout  rises  at  all  short.  The 
bend  and  point  of  the  hook  should  be  the  first 


FIG.  11. — AN  OVER- 
DRESSED FLY. 


FIG.  12. — LIGHTLY  DRESSED 
WINGED  FLY  ON  No.  3 
HOOK. 


FIG.  13. — LIGHTLY  DRESSED 
SPIDER  FLY  ON  No.  3 
HOOK. 


thing  to  enter  a  trout's  mouth,  not  a  length 
of  feather  dressing,  which  protrudes  beyond. 
A  trout  is  remarkably  quick  to  seize  a  fly 
and  equally  smart  at  ejecting  it,  so  the  less 


ARTIFICIAL  FLIES  53 

the  point  of  the  hook  is  camouflaged  by 
dressing,  the  better.  Obviously,  too,  the 
point  should  be  as  sharp  as  possible,  so  that 
it  pays  to  examine  your  flies  at  intervals,  and 
if  the  points  have  become  blunted,  a  small 
jeweller's  file  should  be  used  to  resharpen 
them. 

§  6.  Dry  flies  :  The  Jiaclde  and  hook. 
Wet  flies,  whether  winged  or  spider  shaped, 
are  dressed  with  soft  hackles  or  "  legs."  Soft 
feathers  give  a  much  better  appearance  of 
life  to  a  fly  under  water  than  stiff  ones.  A 
dry  fly,  however,  i.e.  one  that 
is  used  solely  on  the  surface, 
where  it  floats  in  an  upright 
position,  should  be  dressed 
with  a  stiff  hackle,  which  FlG  i4._UpBIGHT 
imparts  buoyancy.  Many  DOUBLE -WINGED 

a-  A       1,1  •         /  DRY  FLY. 

dry  nies  are  double  winged, 
the  theory  being  that  such  wings  give  a 
parachute  effect  and  so  aid  the  fly  to  drop 
lightly  on  the  water.  Wings  of  this  sort  add 
weight,  however,  and  so  put  more  strain  on 
the  hackle,  which  consequently  sinks  deeper. 
Lightness  of  build  is  as  necessary  in  the  dry 
fly  as  the  wet ;  and  it  is  therefore  preferable 
to  have  one's  dry  flies  without  wings  and 
hackled  with  a  sharp  cock's  hackle  at  the 


54    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

shoulder  only.  Such  a  stiff  hackle  serves  the 
dual  purpose  of  acting  as  a  buffer  between 
the  fly  and  the  water  when  the  former  alights 
and  enabling  the  fly  to  float. 

Dry  flies  are  tied  on  eyed  hooks,  as  they 
are  then  less  hampered  in  action  than  hooks 
to  gut.  There  are  several  patterns  of  eyed 
hooks,  straight- eyed,  up-turned,  and  down- 
turned,  but  whichever  pattern  is  used,  there 
is  a  tendency  in  the  gut  point  near  the  fly  to 
curve  in  the  form  of  a  miniature  arch.  This 
curve  in  the  gut  acts  as  a  warning  to  the  fish, 
and  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  the  trout  refuses 
the  fly.  In  order  to  get  rid  of  this  arch,  the 
gut  point  should  be  kept  thoroughly  soaked, 
and  strict  attention  must  be  paid  to  the 
amount  and  length  of  the  stiff  hackle  on  the 
hook.  An  over-hackled  dry  fly  causes  the 
eye  of  the  hook  to  stand  some  distance  above 
the  surface  of  the  water.  By  reducing  the 
amount  of  hackle  as  well  as  its  length  to  the 
smallest  proportions  compatible  with  the 
necessary  buoyancy  of  the  fly,  the  undesir- 
able gut  kink  will  be  abolished,  provided  that 
the  gut  point  is  kept  well  soaked,  and  so  soft 
and  pliable. 

In  practice,  dry  fly  fishing  consists  in  pre- 
senting a  single  floating  fly  to  a  trout  which 
you  see  rising.  .  .  .  When  using  a  cast  of 


ARTIFICIAL  FLIES  55 

wet  flies,  you  fish  over  all  the  likely  places, 
regardless  of  whether  the  fish  are  visibly 
rising  or  not.  The  dyed-in-the-wool  dry  fly 
man  rather  looks  down  on  wet  fly  fishing, 
which  he  has  christened  the  "  chuck  and 
chance  it  "  method.  He  and  other  members 
of  his  school  somewhat  grandiloquently  style 
themselves  "  purists,"  though  I  am  sadly 
afraid  that  on  days  when  trout  are  dour  and 
bad  to  rise,  they  are  not  above  resorting  to 
the  "  chuck  and  chance  it "  methods  them- 
selves. Joking  aside,  however,  both  styles 
of  fishing  have  their  devotees,  and  both 
methods  kill  fish,  which  is  the  main  object 
to  achieve.  ...  To  ensure  that  a  dry  fly 
will  float,  it  is  generally  anointed  with  a 
slight  amount  of  odourless  paraffin.  The 
cast  and  a  portion  of  the  line  are  likewise 
rubbed  with  grease  for  the  same  purpose. 

§  7.   Fly  patterns. 

As  showing  how  even  expert  authorities 
differ  in  their  opinions  regarding  the  numbers 
and  patterns  of  flies  to  be  used,  we  may  say 
that  Mr.  W.  C.  Stewart,  in  his  day  a  king 
amongst  Border  anglers,  employed  but  six 
patterns,  all  of  which  were  of  the  "  impres- 
sionistic "  type.  The  late  Mr.  P.  M.  Halford, 
famous  as  a  dry  fly  authority,  used  thirty- 


56    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

six,  all  of  which  were  of  the  exact  imitation 
variety,  being  as  close  copies  of  the  natural 
insects  as  human  hands  could  make  them. 
Other  well-known  anglers  have  given  us 
even  longer  lists. 

In  order  to  give  the  beginner  an  idea  of 
what  flies  to  purchase  for  his  first  season,  I 
append  a  short  list  of  all-round  killers  on  both 
lake  and  stream  : — 

River  Flies  (winged). 

Blue  Dun,  Alder, 

Red  Spinner,  Francis  Fly, 

Black  Spinner,  Partridge     and     Red 

Hare  Lug,  Hackle, 

Broughton  Point,  Orange  Dun, 

Woodcock    and    Red  Wickham, 

Hackle,  Stonefly, 
GreenwelPs  Glory,  Blue   Upright   (a  fa- 
Black  and  Blae,  vourite   in   Devon- 
March  Brown,  shire). 
Mayfly, 

River  Flies  (spiders). 

Black  Spider,  Dark  Grouse  Hackle, 

Red  Spider,  Hen  Pheasant  Hackle, 

Dotterel  and  Yellow,  Bracken  Clock 

Snipe  and  Purple,  Black  Palmer, 

Woodcock     and  Red  Palmer, 

Orange,  Hackle  Mayfly. 


ARTIFICIAL  FLIES  57 

Lake  Flies. 

Teal  and  Red,  Mallard  and  Green, 

Teal  and  Black,  Grouse  and  Claret, 

March  Brown,  Grouse  and  Purple, 

Butcher,  Jay  and  Purple, 

Alexandra,  Green  well's  Glory, 

Zulu,  Black  Palmer, 

Teal  and  Green,  Red  Palmer. 

If  I  was  limited  to  a  dozen  patterns  only, 
for  both  lake  and  stream,  the  following  would 
be  my  choice — 

River  Flies. 

Black  Spider,  Red  Spinner, 

Red  Spider,  Black  Spinner, 

Dun  Spider,  March  Brown. 

Lake  Flies. 

March  Brown,  Teal  and  Black, 

GreenwelTs  Glory,         Teal  and  Red, 
Butcher,  Zulu. 

Roughly  speaking,  the  majority  of  dry  fly 
patterns  are  tied  rather  smaller  than  wet 
flies.  Practically  all  the  winged  river  flies 
(wet)  listed  here  can  be  tied  to  float,  and 
the  spiders  can  be  tied  likewise  with  stiff 
hackles  for  the  same  purpose.  For  dry  fly 
fishing  on  lakes,  floating  river  flies  should 
be  used. 


CHAPTER  V 
WET  AND  DRY  FLY  FISHING 

§  1.    Casting  the  fly. 

Having  arrived  at  the  river-side,  where  he 
has  put  together  his  gear,  in  the  shape  of 
rod,  line,  and  cast  of  flies,  the  beginner  next 
attempts  to  throw  his  feathered  lures  in  such 
a  way  that  they  will  fall  softly  and  in  a 
natural  manner  on  the  water.  Now,  fly- 
casting  is  easy  enough  to  an  expert ;  but 
even  he  will  find  considerable  difficulty  in 
describing  on  paper  how  it  should  be  done. 
Even  a  famous  angler  like  Sir  Herbert  Max- 
well confesses  himself  beaten  in  this  respect. 
Without  wishing  to  pose  as  an  expert,  and 
with  all  due  deference  to  the  authority  above 
quoted,  I  shall  try  to  give  the  beginner  an 
inkling  as  to  how  to  set  about  the  job.  Before 
doing  so,  however,  I  would  advise  him  to 
place  himself  in  the  hands  of  a  skilled  fisher- 
man rather  than  trust  to  written  instructions, 
for  he  will  learn  more  from  a  ten  minutes' 

58 


WET  AND  DRY  FLY  FISHING         59 

practical  demonstration  by  the  river,  than 
from  a  week's  perusal  of  books. 

When  first  the  beginner  essays  fly-casting, 
he  invariably  uses  the  rod  as  he  would  a 
driving-whip,  in  which  case  his  arm,  the 
whip-stock  and  the  lash  all  go  out  together. 
Now,  even  when  hitting  one  of  the  leaders  in  a 
team,  the  distance  the  lash  has  to  travel  is 
not  far.  But  a  fly  or  a  cast  of  flies  has  often 
to  be  sent  some  considerable  distance ;  and 
not  only  that,  but  the  flies  must  alight  softly, 
without  tangle  or  splash,  and  be  accurate  in 
the  direction  of  their  fall.  Assuming  that 
the  beginner's  rod  is  stiff  and  resilient,  as 
well  as  properly  balanced,  he  will  soon  be 
able  to  fish  neatly  if  he  concentrates  on  cast- 
ing "from  the  butt."  It  is  from  the  rod  butt 
that  proceeds  the  impulse  which  directs  the 
flies  on  their  journey,  which  impulse  is  itself 
imparted  to  the  butt  by  the  angler's  wrist 
and  arm.  For  in  order  that  the  rod  shall 
act,  it  must  spring,  and  before  it  can  do 
this,  it  must  be  tightly  gripped.  Once 
gripped  its  next  movement  is  confined  within 
a  very  small  area  ;  and  with  the  wrist  acting 
as  a  lever  by  which  the  spring  and  resiliency 
of  the  rod  is  set  in  motion  or  retarded,  the 
forearm  moves  only  so  far  as  is  necessary 
to  give  free  play  to  the  wrist,  direction 


60    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

being  communicated  to  the  latter  from  the 
eye. 

To  make  his  initial  cast,  let  the  beginner 
draw  off  from  the  reel  sufficient  line,  say  one 
and  a  half  times  the  length  of  the  rod.  Then, 
holding  the  tail  fly  lightly  between  his  fingers, 
let  him  swing  or  wave  the  rod,  releasing  the 
fly  as  he  does  so.  When  the  cast  is  fully 
extended  in  the  air  behind  him,  he  should 
then  allow  the  rod  point  to  come  forward. 
If  properly  done,  the  cast  will  fly  out  straight 
in  front,  when  the  momentum  of  its  fall  may 
be  retarded  in  order  to  make  it  drop  lightly. 
The  forward  stroke  should  be  smart,  and  the 
point  of  the  rod  should  not  fall  farther  than 
at  a  right  angle  to  the  fisherman's  body. 
The  cast  of  flies  having  alighted  softly  on  tho 
water,  to  repeat  the  stroke,  raise  the  point 
of  the  rod  slowly  upwards,  until  as  much 
line  as  possible  is  clear  of  the  surface,  then, 
with  a  smart  upward  and  backward  lift,  line 
and  cast  are  made  to  fly  out  straight  behind. 
In  the  backward  stroke,  the  rod  point  should 
not  go  farther  than  an  angle  of  forty-five 
degrees  to  the  body ;  and  when  the  line  is 
in  the  air  behind,  time  should  be  allowed  it 
to  straighten,  otherwise  when  the  forward 
stroke  begins,  the  fly  or  flies  are  very  liable 
to  be  cracked  off.  If  the  rod  point  also  is 


WET  AND  DRY  FLY    FISHING         61 

allowed  to  go  too  low  behind,  the  tail  fly  is 
apt  to  catch  on  grass  or  other  obstacles,  and 
when  brought  forward,  the  sudden  strain 
may  smash  the  rod  top.  One  throws  a  fly 
more  by  instinct  than  reason,  and  the  act  is 
much  easier  to  perform  than  describe.  Put 
succinctly,  the  art  lies  in  casting  with  the 
butt  and  from  the  wrist.  The  forearm  and 
wrist  combined  start  the  impulse  on  its  way 
to  the  rod,  and  if  the  angler's  elbow  be 
strapped  lightly  to  his  side,  he  should  be 
able  to  cast  quite  as  neatly  and  well  as  if 
his  entire  arm  was  free. 

§  2.     Wet    fly    fishing :    fishing    downstream 

and  playing  a  fish. 

Having  acquired  the  art  of  making  the 
flies  alight  softly,  the  beginner  will  naturally 
wish  to  get  on  terms  with  a  trout.  Practice 
casting  is  at  first  best  done  downstream, 
and  the  same  thing  applies  when  beginning 
to  fish.  Approaching  as  near  to  the  river 
bank  as  the  eyesight  of  the  fish  will  permit, 
and  with  due  regard  to  the  volume  of  water 
in  the  river  at  the  time,  the  angler  throws 
his  flies  across  and  slightly  upstream,  allow- 
ing the  current  to  swing  them  round  and 
down.  When  straight  downstream,  or  a 
little  before  they  reach  that  position,  he 


62    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

repeats  the  cast,  taking  a  step  or  two  down- 
stream himself  as  he  does  so.  The  point  of 
the  rod  should  be  kept  fairly  high,  so  as  to 
ensure  as  little  slack  line  as  possible  between 
the  rod  and  the  flies.  The  current  helps  to 
keep  the  line  taut,  and  when  a  fish  seizes  a 
fly,  he  practically  hooks  himself.  In  the 
excitement  caused  by  the  sight  of  a  rising 
trout,  and  the  "  pluck "  communicated  to 
the  line,  the  beginner  is  nearly  sure  to  strike 
involuntarily  and  much  too  hard.  He  then 
either  pulls  the  fly  away  from  the  trout's 
mouth  altogether,  or  he  sets  the  hook  roughly 
and  the  frail  gut  parts  under  the  sudden  strain. 
After  the  loss  of  a  few  flies,  however,  he 
will  gradually  get  himself  in  hand,  until  at 
length  he  is  fast  in  a  fish.  If  it  happens  to 
be  a  heavy  trout,  the  period  of  connexion 
between  the  angler  and  his  quarry  may  be 
short,  especially  should  the  fisherman  keep 
too  tight  a  line.  Accordingly,  while  making 
sure  that  the  line  is  tight  enough  to  enable 
you  to  feel  your  fish,  you  should  humour 
your  quarry  to  some  extent  by  letting  him 
go  when  he  makes  a  rush,  and  winding  in 
line  when  you  get  the  chance.  Should  the 
trout  leap  into  the  air,  the  rod  point  must 
be  momentarily  lowered,  otherwise  the  cast 
may  part.  The  instant,  however,  the  fish 


WET  AND  DRY  FLY  FISHING         63 

returns  to  the  water,  raise  the  rod  again, 
and  keep  all  the  strain  you  dare  on  the  line. 
By  degrees  his  rushes  will  become  fewer  and 
more  feeble,  until  at  last  he  lies  on  his  side 
exhausted.  Then  is  the  time  to  sink  the 
landing-net,  and  draw  him  unresisting  over 
it,  raising  the  net  to  enfold  him  as  you  do  so. 
He  may  make  a  last  effort  on  seeing  the  net. 
If  he  does,  let  him  go,  until  he  is  too  tired 
to  rebel  further.  Never  make  hasty  pokes  at 
a  fish  when  trying  to  land  him,  always  sink 
the  net,  draw  him  over  it,  and  then  raise  it. 
Having  caught  one  or  two  fish,  you  are 
entered  to  the  sport,  for  you  will  have  little 
difficulty  in  handling  any  future  victims,  as 
the  antics  of  one  hooked  trout  are  more  or 
less  similar  to  the  evolutions  of  others  under 
like  circumstances.  After  a  certain  amount 
of  practical  experience,  you  will  thus  be  able 
to  judge  to  a  nicety  the  amount  of  pressure 
you  may  bring  to  bear  on  a  hooked  fish. 
Sometimes  even  you  will  risk  a  smash  by 
holding  on  willy-nilly,  when  a  trout  is  endea- 
vouring to  reach  some  safe  retreat,  such  as 
a  thick  weed-bed,  or  a  tangle  of  roots.  For 
once  let  him  reach  a  refuge  of  the  sort,  and 
he  is  likely  to  break  you  anyway ;  so  you 
may  just  as  well  breathe  a  short  prayer,  and 
try  to  hold  him  in  the  open. 


64    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

§  3.    Upstream  -fishing ;   and  where  to  fish. 

Having  landed  a  number  of  trout  by  down- 
stream angling,  the  beginner  will  be  wise 
to  make  trial  of  the  upstream  method. 
Whichever  system  you  employ,  however, 
always  keep  on  the  shallow  side  of  the 
water,  so  that  you  can  fish  the  opposite  and 
deeper  side,  where  the  good  trout  lie.  Pro- 
ceeding upstream,  you  approach  a  likely 
reach.  First  take  a  cast  or  two  on  the  near 
side,  then  throw  your  flies  partly  up  and 
partly  across  from  where  you  are  standing. 
Your  line  and  cast  combined  should  be  long 
enough  to  reach  close  to  the  opposite  bank. 
When  the  flies  alight,  let  them  sink  an  inch 
or  two  beneath  the  surface,  and  allow  them 
to  float  downstream  for  several  yards,  raising 
the  rod  point  so  as  to  keep  the  line  straight 
and  as  little  of  it  in  the  water  as  possible. 
Having  completed  their  drift,  the  flies  are 
then  lifted  and  a  fresh  cast  essayed.  After 
each  throw,  walk  a  step  or  two  upstream 
and  cast  over  fresh  water  each  time.  Unless 
a  place  appears  extra  promising,  or  you  get 
a  rise  and  miss  it,  you  need  not  throw  more 
than  twice  at  the  same  spot ;  if,  however, 
the  water  is  very  deep  or  rough,  half  a  dozen 
attempts  may  reward  you  with  a  fish  at  last. 

A  very  killing  plan,  when  fishing  the  deep 


WET  AND  DRY  FLY  FISHING        65 

water  under  the  far  bank,  is  to  drop  the 
flies  on  the  bank  and  then  draw  them  care- 
fully off,  so  that  they  fall  lightly  on  the 
water.  If  a  good  fish  sees  them,  he  seldom 
fails  to  rise.  The  edges  of  the  pools  generally 
afford  the  most  fish,  though  heavy  trout 
are  often  hooked  in  the  main  current ;  and 
pools  rippled  by  a  breeze  are  easier  to  fish 
than  those  in  a  dead  calm.  When  approach- 
ing a  pool  where  bushes  afford  camouflage, 
it  is  better — if  you  are  dressed  in  incon- 
spicuous garments — to  step  in  front  of  them, 
using  them  as  a  background,  rather  than 
peer  over  them.  If  you  see  a  good  fish 
rising,  keep  casting  a  foot  or  so  above  him, 
until  he  either  takes  the  fly,  or  ceases  to  rise. 
But  when  the  trout  are  taking  the  fly  well, 
the  angler  should  work  quickly,  wasting  as 
little  time  as  possible  over  landing  and  creeling 
his  fish.  The  rise  is  at  all  times  uncertain,  and 
so  it  pays  to  "make  hay  while  the  sun  shines." 
Streams  and  fast  water  are  fished  exactly 
the  same  as  pools.  As  little  line  as  possible 
should  be  kept  in  the  water,  and  the  rod 
point  raised  to  ensure  a  fairly  tight  line.  A 
rise  is  of  course  harder  to  see  in  rough  water, 
but  practice  and  experience  soon  enable  one 
to  strike  at  the  right  moment.  Casting 
partly  up  and  across  is  better  than  straight 


66    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

up,  as  all  three  flies  get  more  of  a  chance 
to  show  themselves  and  cover  more  water. 
Trout  often  do  take  a  fly  at  the  instant  it 
alights,  but  the  cast  should  always  be  allowed 
to  travel  a  short  distance  before  being  picked 
off  the  water.  On  a  big  river,  where  it  is 
impossible  to  cover  the  water  from  bank  to 
bank,  you  are  of  course  obliged  to  do  the 
best  you  can  on  your  own  side.  If  it  is 
possible  to  wade,  by  all  means  do  so,  as 
you  can  then  keep  right  behind  the  fish, 
and  being  on  a  lower  level  than  when  angling 
from  the  bank,  you  are  more  out  of  the 
trout's  angle  of  vision. 

In  Chapter  I,  I  have  described  where  trout 
lie  at  different  seasons  of  the  year,  and  the 
novice  should  remember  this  and  act  accord- 
ingly. 

§4.    Wind. 

One  of  the  greatest  bugbears  of  the  angler, 
when  river  fishing,  is  wind.  A  moderate 
breeze  upstream  certainly  is  an  aid  to  getting 
out  the  flies ;  but  the  breeze  is  quite  as 
likely  to  be  downstream  or  at  some  other 
inconvenient  angle.  Still  pools  can,  of  course, 
be  more  easily  fished  when  the  wind  ruffles 
them,  as  the  movement  helps  to  blur  the 
trout's  vision,  just  as  an  additional  volume 
of  water  does.  Should  the  angler  be  com- 


WET  AND  DRY  FLY  FISHING        67 

pelled  to  fish  against  the  wind,  he  will  at 
once  recognize  the  advantage  under  such  con- 
ditions of  a  stiff,  resilient  fly-rod,  and  a  fairly 
heavy  line.  It  is  often  hard  and  trying  work, 
but  the  beginner  should  keep  pegging  away,  for 
he  is  not  proficient  in  the  angler's  art,  unless 
he  can  perform  respectably  against  a  breeze. 

§  5.  "  Keep  your  flies  in  the  water" 
If  you  are  out  to  make  a  record  bag — an 
object  that  most  anglers  fondly  hope  to 
achieve  every  time  they  sally  forth — always 
"  keep  your  flees  i'  the  wather,"  and  fish  as 
if  you  expected  a  rise  at  every  cast.  Angling 
has  been  called  "  the  contemplative  man's 
recreation  "  ;  but  the  fly-fisher  who  spends  his 
time  in  contemplation  will,  I  am  afraid,  return 
home  oftener  than  not  with  an  empty  basket. 
Certainly  if  trout  absolutely  refuse  to  rise,  or 
you  are  tired — fly-fishing  can  be  extraordin- 
arily hard  work  at  times,  especially  under  a 
hot  sun — a  rest  and  a  soothing  pipe  are  admis- 
sible ;  but  a  wary  eye  should  be  kept  on  the 
water  for  the  first  sign  of  change  or  movement. 

§  6.   Dry  fly  fishing  :   Outfit  and  method. 

The  majority  of  would-be  anglers  begin 
their  fly-fishing  career  by  using  wet  flies,  but 
sooner  or  later  they  are  attracted  by  the 
promise  of  the  dry  fly  method,  As  previ- 


68    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

ously  mentioned,  a  dry  fly  is  dressed  on  an 
eyed  hook,  and  so  constructed  that  it  will  fall 
upright  on  the  water  and  float.  It  is  gener- 
ally used  on  pools,  or  glassy  glides,  where 
the  surface  of  the  water  is  smooth,  but, 
contrary  to  general  opinion,  it  can  also  be 
employed  in  rough  water,  for  wherever  the 
natural  insect  can  float,  there  can  the  arti- 
ficial do  likewise.  It  is,  in  fact,  possible  to 
fish  successfully  with  a  cast  composed  of  two 
wet  flies  and  one  dry,  or  two  dry  and  one 
wet,  but  as  a  rule  a  single  dry  fly  is  considered 
sufficient,  especially  on  the  chalk-streams 
of  the  south,  which  are  the  dry  fly  "  purist's  " 
hunting  grounds  par  excellence. 

The  average  wet  fly  outfit  is  not  exactly 
fitted  for  dry  fly  fishing ;  still  if  the  novice 
possesses  a  stiff,  resilient  rod,  he  can  try  his 
hand  with  it.  A  dry  fly  rod  proper  is  a 
powerful  weapon,  the  power  being  required 
to  resist  the  strain  of  constantly  drying  the 
fly  after  a  cast,  by  whisking  it  through  the 
air.  A  9-foot  or  10-foot  rod  is  amply  long 
enough.  As  a  good  deal  of  force  is  required 
to  drive  the  fly  to  the  desired  spot,  a  fairly 
heavy  line — heavier  than  the  average  wet 
fly  line — should  be  attached  to  the  reel. 
The  tail  end  of  the  line,  however,  must  be 
quite  fine,  and  is  accordingly  tapered.  The 


WET  AND  DRY  FLY  FISHING         69 

degree  and  weight  of  the  taper  is  best  decided 
after  ascertaining  the  power  of  the  rod  with 
which  it  is  to  be  used.  The  correct  weight 
of  line  will  bring  out  the  full  power  of  the 
rod,  without  putting  undue  strain  on  the 
weapon.  Just  as  the  line  forms  a  perfect 
taper  with  the  rod,  so  should  the  cast  form 
an  equal  taper  with  the  line  to  which  it  is 
attached.  Dry  fly  casts  are  usually  from 
2J  yards  to  3  yards  in  length,  and  the  fineness 
of  the  taper  depends  on  the  size  and  weight 
of  the  fish  likely  to  be  caught,  as  well  as  on 
the  temperament  of  the  angler.  The  fly  can  be 
attached  to  the  gut  point  in  several  ways,  the 
diagram  on  p.  37  showing  a  simple  method. 

Dry  fly  fishing  must  be  practised  upstream, 
as  the  object  in  view  is  to  capture  a  trout 
which  you  see  rising,  by  casting  the  fly  a 
foot  or  so  above  his  nose  and  allowing  it  to 
float  down  over  him.  The  fly  should  appear 
perfectly  natural  and  untrammelled  ;  there- 
fore, there  must  be  no  drag  on  the  line  and 
no  small  arch  of  gut  close  to  the  head  of 
the  fly.  .  .  .  Accordingly,  the  cast  and  a 
portion  of  the  reel  line  are  greased  with  red 
deer  fat ;  this  makes  them  float  and  so  offset 
with  their  buoyancy  the  drag  of  the  current. 
The  fly  is  also  anointed  with  odourless  para- 
ffin or  some  such  similar  preparation.  Special 


90    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

dry  fly  oil  bottles  and  vaporizers  are  sold  by 
the  various  tackle-making  firms.  .  .  .  Hav- 
ing marked  a  rising  fish,  the  requisite  length 
of  line  to  cover  his  position  is  drawn  out  by 
a  series  of  false  casts.  The  cast  proper  is 
then  made,  and  the  fly  alights  softly  as  a 
snowflake  and  floats  down  over  the  trout. 
He  comes  up  quietly,  sucks  it  in,  and  then 
your  rod  assumes  a  delightful  curve,  as  a 
two-pounder  plunges  desperately  across  the 
stream  in  his  efforts  to  seek  shelter  amongst 
the  weed.  There  ensues  a  battle  royal,  but 
in  the  end  you  prove  the  victor,  and  as  you 
admire  your  captive's  plump  proportions, 
and  brilliant  colouring,  you  begin  to  think 
there  is  something  in  this  dry  fly  business 
after  all. 

§  7.    Dry  fly  technique. 

The  dry  fly,  like  the  wet,  can  be  used  in 
every  variety  of  water,  from  the  placid  lake 
to  the  turbulent  burn.  On  a  typical  wet  fly 
stream,  you  are  of  course  handicapped  to 
some  extent  by  using  a  single  fly,  but  as 
already  mentioned  you  can,  if  you  like, 
fish  with  a  mixed  cast  of  wet  and  dry  flies. 
On  most  rivers  there  are  certain  reaches 
admirably  adapted  to  sport  with  the  dry  fly, 
and  during  the  course  of  a  day's  fishing  it  is 
interesting  to  ring  the  changes  with  wet  and 


WET  AND  DRY  FLY  FISHING         71 

dry  lures,  and  make  comparison  of  their 
killing  powers.  Should  the  beginner,  how- 
ever, live  near  any  of  the  well-known  chalk- 
streams  and  have  access  to  them,  he  will 
probably  begin  his  angling  career  with  the 
dry  fly,  and  may  eventually  become  a  member 
of  the  "  purist "  fraternity.  If  he  does,  he 
is  sure  to  have  some  good  sport,  for  the  trout 
of  the  chalk- streams  run  heavy,  and  his 
basket  at  the  end  of  the  day  will  contain 
quality  rather  than  quantity. 

After  each  cast  with  the  dry  fly,  the  line 
and  fly  should  be  whisked  through  the  air 
some  half-dozen  times  to  dry.  If  a  trout 
ignores  the  fly  and  lets  it  float  past  him, 
always  pick  the  line  carefully  off  the  water 
with  as  little  disturbance  as  possible,  and  do 
not  be  in  too  great  a  hurry  to  do  so,  because 
on  occasion  the  fish  will  turn  round  and 
pursue  the  lure,  seizing  it  with  gusto.  If 
you  feel  a  bit  uncertain  about  placing  the 
fly  exactly  on  the  right  spot,  do  not  allow 
it  to  alight  badly ;  rather,  make  an  extra 
false  cast  or  two,  until  hand  and  eye  become 
exactly  attuned.  Should  the  cast  or  line  be 
partially  drawn  beneath  the  surface,  or  not 
fall  quite  straight,  never  mind — so  long  as  the 
fly  is  floating  in  the  desired  direction.  It  is 
better  to  let  the  whole  thing  float  quietly  past 


72    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

the  fish  as  it  is,  rather  than  hurriedly  pick  it 
up  and  put  him  down  by  making  a  disturbance 
in  front  of  him.  Particular  attention  must  of 
course  be  paid  to  the  direction  of  the  current, 
otherwise  there  is  sure  to  be  a  drag  on  the  line. 

§  8.  "  Fine  and  as  near  as  you  can." 
There  is  an  old  maxim  "  Fine  and  far  off  " 
that  has  been  quoted  in  practically  every  book 
on  angling,  but  the  novice  will  be  well  advised 
to  alter  this  to  "Fine  and  as  near  as  you 
can."  If  he  be  temperamentally  fitted  to 
use  the  finest  tackle,  by  all  means  let  him 
do  so,  but  it  is  a  mistake  to  make  longer 
casts  than  is  absolutely  necessary,  for  the 
simple  reasons  that  it  is  more  difficult  to 
strike  promptly  with  a  long  line  out  than 
with  a  short  one,  and  there  is  not  the  same 
instant  control  over  a  hooked  fish.  It  is 
much  better  to  wade  and  practise  the  art  of 
stalking  and  camouflage  than  trust  to  distance 
and  a  long  line,  to  keep  you  out  of  the  trout's 
sight.  A  short  cast  is  easier  to  make,  too, 
than  a  long  one,  particularly  where  accuracy 
is  concerned.  Casting  for  distance  is  right 
enough  at  a  tournament,  where  you  are  "  fish- 
ing "  for  prizes  in  the  shape  of  silver  "  pots," 
but  on  the  stream,  the  nearer  you  can  get  to 
your  fish,  and  the  shorter  your  line,  the  sooner 
will  you  hustle  your  victim  towards  the  net. 


CHAPTER  VI 
WORM  AND  MINNOW  FISHING 

§  1.    Worm  and  minnow  fishing. 

Once  the  beginner  becomes  thoroughly 
enamoured  of  fly-fishing,  he  will  be  hard  to 
wean  from  it,  but  under  certain  conditions 
other  modes  of  angling  pay  better,  such  as 
worm  and  minnow  fishing.  At  any  time 
during  the  summer  months  the  river  is  liable 
to  come  down  in  spate,  and  as  the  water  rises 
and  increases  hi  volume,  it  becomes  more 
and  more  opaque.  Under  such  conditions 
the  fish  cannot  see  artificial  flies,  and  so  the 
angler  must  either  possess  his  soul  in  patience 
till  the  stream  begins  to  subside,  or  else  try 
his  luck  with  the  worm. 

When  the  river  begins  to  rise,  the  trout 
are  on  the  look  out  for  food  in  the  shape  of 
worms  or  other  edible  matter  washed  down 
by  the  current.  With  the  increase  in  volume, 
and  thickening  of  the  water,  the  trout's  vision 
is  restricted,  so  that  the  worm  fisher  can 

73 


74    TROUT-FISHING  FOE  THE  BEGINNER 

stand  close  to  the  edge  of  the  bank  with 
impunity.  Worm  fishing  in  flooded  waters 
is  rather  a  coarse  performance,  but  it  kills 
fish,  often  too  some  of  the  heaviest,  so  the 
novice  will  naturally  wish  to  try  his  hand  at 
it. 

§  2.    Worm  fishing :    Outfit. 

Fine  tackle  is  unnecessary,  owing  to  the 
volume  and  colour  of  the  water.  An  ordinary 
stiff  fly-rod  will  serve  the  purpose  well  enough, 
though  a  rather  longer  rod,  as  mentioned 
later  in  clear-water  worm  fishing,  is  better. 
Using  a  9-foot  or  10-foot  fly-rod,  however, 
the  angler  can  substitute  fly  for  worm  when 


FIG.  15. — MCKENZIE 
BEND  HOOK. 


FIG.  16. — THE  SAME  BAITED 
WITH  WORM. 


the  river  begins  to  clear,  and  so  one  rod 
serves  a  dual  purpose.  A  strong  gut  cast, 
about  a  yard  or  a  yard  and  a  half  in  length, 
is  attached  to  the  reel  line,  and  a  single  hook, 


WORM  AND  MINNOW  FISHING        7S 

or  a  three-hook  Stewart  tackle,  is  affixed  to 

the  point  of  the  cast.     A  round  hook  or  one 

of  the  McKenzie  bend  pattern  is  generally 

used.     I  prefer  the  latter,  as  the  bend  is  less 

acute,  and  the  gape  wider,  which  makes  it 

easier   to   bait.     The   Stewart 

tackle  consists  of  three  hooks, 

one  above  another,    at  short 

intervals.    To  bait  it,  the  hooks 

are  stuck  into    the   worm  in 

almost  any  position.    Using  the 

single  hook,  the  worm  should 

completely  cover  it,  leaving  a 

portion  to  wave  free  beyond  the 

point. 

§  3.  Worm  fishing :  Method  ; 
Flooded  and  dear  water. 
When  a  trout  seizes  the  bait, 
a  tug-tug  is  communicated  to  Flo  17.1STEWABT 
the  angler.  If  he  is  using  a 
Stewart  tackle,  he  should  strike 
firmly  and  at  once.  If,  on  the  other  hand, 
he  is  fishing  with  a  single  hook,  he  must  allow 
the  trout  a  second  or  two  in  which  to  get 
the  worm  well  into  its  mouth.  Very  often 
trout  gorge  or  partially  gorge  the  single  hook, 
whereas  the  Stewart  tackle  is  generally  found 
in  the  mouth  of  the  fish.  If  strong  gut  is 


76    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

used,  a  hooked  trout  can  be  swung  uncere- 
moniously ashore. 

There  is,  of  course,  a  certain  amount  of 
expectancy  and  mild  excitement  connected 
with  worm  fishing  in  flooded  water,  but  it 
cannot  compare  with  the  fine  art  of  fishing 
the  worm  upstream  in  low,  clear  water.  In 
a  flood,  trout  do  not  move  very  far  upstream 
or  down,  though  they  may  come  in  closer 
to  the  banks,  and  are  usually  found  in  the 
shallower  reaches.  Wherever  the  rush  of 
the  stream  appears  to  be  broken,  a  fish  or 
two  are  sure  to  be  lurking,  and  these  places 
as  well  as  the  shallow  edges  should  receive 
attention.  One  can  fish  upstream  or  down, 
but  the  latter  is  the  best,  for  after  the  water 
clears,  the  river  can  be  fished  back  upstream 
with  the  fly.  But  with  the  advent  of  June, 
most  of  the  streams  are  usually  at  dead-low 
summer  level,  and  with  the  sun  beating 
pitilessly  down  on  the  shrunken  pools,  fly- 
fishing in  the  daytime  is  decidedly  at  a 
discount.  Then  is  the  time  to  fish  the  clear- 
water  worm,  which,  besides  being  an  art,  is 
a  deadly  method  of  killing  fish. 

Although  an  ordinary  stiff  fly-rod  of  9  feet 
or  10  feet  can  be  used,  the  angler  will  be  better 
equipped  with  a  special  weapon  if  he  means 
to  practise  this  phase  of  sport  regularly. 


WORM  AND  MINNOW  FISHING        77 

Fishing  the  fly,  you  can,  if  need  be,  cast  a  long 
line  without  harming  your  feathered  lures ; 
but  a  worm,  even  if  it  has  been  toughened, 
is  but  a  fragile  bait,  and,  therefore,  you  must 
depend  more  on  length  of  rod  than  line. 
The  worm  is  thrown  by  a  forward  underhand 
swing,  or  by  a  side  swing  from  left  to  right 
and  vice  versa.  Thrown  overhead  like  a  fly, 
it  would  soon  be  flipped  off  the  hook.  Some 
anglers  use  a  double-handed  rod  for  this 
style  of  fishing,  but  a  single-handed  one  will 
be  found  much  more  convenient  and  less 
tiring  on  a  hot  summer's  day.  A  rod  from 
11  feet  to  12  feet,  composed  of  whole  cane 
and  greenheart,  makes  an  ideal  weapon, 
being  very  light  in  weight.  It  should  be 
pretty  stiff,  in  order  to  allow  of  quick  striking, 
and  most  of  the  weight  should  be  in  the  butt. 
The  great  thing  in  clear- water  worm  fishing, 
as  in  fly-fishing,  is  to  have  absolute  control 
over  your  line,  and  here  again  the  old  maxim 
"  Fine  and  far  off  "  is  much  better  changed 
to  "Fine  and  as  near  as  you  can."  Never 
have  more  line  out  than  you  need  ;  for,  using 
an  11 -foot  or  12-foot  rod,  you  can  approach 
trout  quite  closely,  even  when  they  are  lying 
with  half  their  backs  out  of  water,  on  the 
shallows. 

In  low,  clear  water,  your  gut  cast  must  be 


ITS    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

of  the  finest.  Some  anglers  prefer  a  3-yard 
cast,  but  I  prefer  one  of  2£  yards ;  a  good 
portion  of  the  reel  line  is  then  always  visible, 
and  a  tremor  in  the  line  caused  by  a  trout 
is  easier  to  see  than  if  practically  the  whole 
cast  from  rod  point  to  bait  is  composed  of 
gut.  The  same  thing  applies  to  worming 
in  flooded  water,  when  the  gut  may  profitably 
be  even  shorter  still.  The  cast  should  taper 
from  about  stout  trout  to  4x.  Either  the 
single  hook  or  the  Stewart  tackle  is  fixed 
to  the  point  of  the  cast.  To  bait,  proceed 
as  described  for  worming  in  a  flood. 

If  you  are  worm  fishing  in  a  spate,  fresh 
worms  will  prove  satisfactory,  but  for  use 
in  clear  water,  they  should  be  cleaned  and 
toughened.  Medium-sized  worms  are  the 
best.  Almost  any  kind  of  worm  may  be 
used ;  but  the  pink-headed  ones  found  in 
rich  soil,  the  brandling  and  the  black-headed 
sort  are  as  good  as  any.  To  scour  and  toughen 
them,  first  wash  them,  then  place  them  in  a 
jar  with  plenty  of  moss.  The  latter  should 
also  be  washed,  wrung  out,  and  any  particles 
of  rubbish  picked  from  it.  Every  other  day 
or  so  the  jar  should  be  examined,  and  any 
dying  or  sickly  worms  picked  out,  and  the 
moss  changed.  When  fishing  the  worm  in 
flooded  water,  it  is  advisable  to  weight  the 


WORM  AND  MINNOW  FISHING        79 

cast  slightly  with  one  or  two  small  split- 
shot.  In  clear-water  worming,  however,  it 
is  inadvisable  to  do  this,  because  it  interferes 
with  the  free  passage  of  the  worm.  Worms 
are  best  carried  in  a  kidney-shaped  tin  box, 
attached  to  a  waist  belt.  This  device  will 
be  found  much  handier  than  a  bag.  The 
box  should  contain  two  compartments,  one 
for  the  worms,  the  other  for  a  small  quantity 
of  fine  sand,  into  which  the  angler's  fingers 
can  be  dipped,  thus  making  the  handling  of 
the  worms  much  easier,  and  less  disagreeable. 
Approaching  a  likely  reach,  the  angler 
swings  the  bait  upstream,  and  allows  the 
current  to  trundle  it  down,  raising  the  point 
of  his  rod  so  as  to  keep  a  fairly  tight  line. 
The  first  indication  of  a  fish  will  be  shown 
by  the  stoppage  of  the  bait.  Now  and  then 
•the  latter  is  held  up  by  some  obstacle ;  but 
if  a  trout  seizes  it,  a  tremor  of  the  line  gives 
warning  of  the  fact.  Using  the  single  hook, 
the  angler  should  strike  when  the  trout  starts 
to  move  off  with  the  worm ;  but  with  the 
tackle  he  should  strike  at  once.  Trout  take 
the  worm  best  in  the  early  morning,  some 
of  my  best  baskets  having  been  made  soon 
after  daybreak.  They  will,  however,  often 
afford  good  sport  during  the  hottest  part 
of  the  day. 


80    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

Upstream  worming  is  rather  a  back- 
aching  business,  as  one  is  compelled  to 
crouch  more  or  less  when  approaching  likely 
places.  Occasionally  trout  come  short  at 
the  worm,  exactly  as  they  do  with  the  fly. 
They  appear  just  to  nip  the  bait  and  at  once 
release  their  hold,  the  quickest  turn  of  the 
angler's  wrist  being  too  slow  to  set  the  hook. 
The  worm  should  be  cast  into  shallows,  streams 
and  all  likely  runs  between  stones.  Except  in 
winter,  it  is  the  shallows  which  the  fish  prefer, 
and  there  they  will  be  found  at  midsummer. 

As  a  means  of  killing  trout,  clear-water 
worming  is  second  to  none.  It  is  possible 
to  make  some  very  heavy  baskets  by  this 
method.  Many  keen  anglers  have  to  take 
their  holidays  when  the  powers  that  be  give 
the  word,  and  at  times  when  fly-fishing 
during  the  day  is  at  a  discount.  If,  there- 
fore, the  beginner  chances  to  be  one  of  the 
unfortunates,  let  him  not  despair,  but  instead 
let  him  practise  the  art  of  ^upstream  worm- 
ing, and  he  will  seldom  return  with  an  empty 
basket.  At  the  approach  of  dusk  he  can 
then  change  from  worm  to  fly,  and  until  it 
becomes  dark  or  even  later,  he  will  find  the 
trout  by  no  means  disinclined  to  accept  his 
feathered  lures  when  the  heat  of  the  mid- 
summer's day  is  over. 


WORM  AND  MINNOW  FISHING         81 

§  4.    Spinning  or  fishing  the  minnow  :  Outfit. 

Turning  from  worm  to  minnow,  we  come 
to  an  exciting  branch  of  the  trout  fisherman's 
art.  Although  occasionally  very  heavy  fish 
are  taken  on  the  fly,  it  is  seldom  that  a  real 
"  specimen  "  trout  falls  to  that  lure.  Using 
the  minnow  on  the  other  hand,  the  angler 
frequently  strikes  some  of  the  "  whoppers  " 
inhabiting  both  lake  and  stream.  Fishing 
the  minnow  on  a  river  is  known  as  Spinning. 

It  can  be  practised  with  a  stiff  fly-rod,  if 
the  latter  is  only  used  occasionally,  but  the 
angler  who  employs  this  method  frequently 
will  be  well  advised  to  use  a  special  weapon. 
At  one  time,  long  double-handed  rods  were 
used  for  spinning,  and  the  angler  cast  his 
bait  into  flooded  waters,  when  the  stream 
was  beginning  to  fine  down  from  its  initial 
rush.  Since  those  days,  however,  great 
improvements  have  been  made  in  rods  and 
tackle  ;  and  we  owe  a  good  deal  to  American 
anglers  and  manufacturers  for  their  enthu- 
siasm in  perfecting  the  short  rod  for  up-to- 
date  bait-casting  or  spinning.  For  trout 
spinning  an  8J-foot  casting  rod  is  a  useful 
size.  Such  rods  decrease  in  length  as  they 
increase  in  strength.  A  rod  suitable  for 
salmon  or  pike  may  even  run  from  5  feet  to 
7  feet.  When  in  Canada  I  had  one  or  two 


82    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

very  good  American  bait-casting  rods  made 
of  tubular  steel,  which  stand  an  enormous 
amount  of  hard  wear.  The  best  short  spin- 
ning rods,  however,  are  made  of  split  bamboo, 
greenheart,  bethabara  and  other  woods. 

In  conjunction  with  such  a  rod  a  special 
reel  and  line  are  required.  The  line  is  of 
dressed  silk,  and  thinner  than  that  used  when 
fly-fishing.  When  casting  a  minnow  or  other 
spinning  bait,  the  line  should  run  off  the 
reel  easily,  with  no  tendency  to  stickiness. 
Cast  from  an  ordinary  free-running  reel,  the 
line,  unless  checked  as  the  bait  enters  the 
water,  will  overrun,  and  form  what  is  com- 
monly known  as  a  "  back  lash."  A  section 
of  line  so  tangled  is  most  difficult  to  undo, 
so  nowadays  several  patent  reels  have  been 
invented,  which  entirely  do  away  with  any 
chance  of  such  a  contretemps.  One  of  the 
best  of  such  reels  is  known  as  the  "  Silex." 
It  is  actuated  by  a  finger-lever,  which,  when 
pressed,  allows  the  reel  to  run  freely ;  when 
the  lever  is  released,  the  reel  is  instantly  in 
check.  Attached  to  the  line  is  a  trace  about 
If  yards  long.  This  is  in  three  lengths  of 
gut,  or  very  fine  twisted  wire,  with  two  or 
three  swivels  to  prevent  it  from  twisting  when 
the  bait  is  spinning. 

The   bait   consists   of   a  natural  minnow, 


WORM  AND  MINNOW  FISHING        83 

either  freshly  killed,  or  preserved ;  or  else  an 
artificial  minnow.  If  the  angler  employs 
the  natural  minnow,  the  latter  is  attached 
to  a  tackle,  such  as  the  "  Ariel "  or  some 
other  of  the  many  patterns  provided  by  the 
various  firms.  Artificial  minnows  are  made 
of  different  materials,  such  as  celluloid,  horn, 
pearl,  metal  or  quill.  I  personally  prefer 
a  quill  minnow  1 J  inches  long,  when  spinning 
for  trout.  Being  a  fragile  bait,  the  natural 
minnow  requires  more  attention  than  the 
artificial.  In  order  to  keep  minnows  alive 
and  fresh,  a  bait  can  is  necessary,  live  minnows 
not  being  always  easy  to  procure  in  quantities. 
But  preserved  baits  are  not  so  desirable  for 
trout.  A  well-made  quill  minnow  kills 
splendidly  when  spinning  for  trout,  and  with 
careful  usage  will  last  practically  a  whole 
season.  One  or  two  such  artificials  take  up 
little  or  no  room,  and  often  come  in  useful 
when  trout  refuse  the  fly.  Being  very  light, 
such  an  artificial  can  be  cast  with  a  stiff  fly- 
rod  if  the  proper  spinning-rod  has  been  left 
at  home. 

§  5.   Spinning :      Casting    and    working    the 

minnow. 

Having  put  together  the  tackle,   casting 
is  performed  as  follows.     The  bait  is  reeled 

G* 


84    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

up  towards  the  tip  of  the  rod,  and  the  cast 
is  made  overhand,  underhand,  or  sideways 
from  left  to  right  or  vice  versa.  As  the  bait 
flies  out,  the  reel  lever  is  pressed,  allowing 
the  drum  to  run  free,  and  when  the  lure 
strikes  the  water,  the  lever  is  released,  the 
reel  then  being  in  check,  and  the  line  under 
control.  When  there  is  a  fair  volume  of 
water,  it  is  usual  to  spin  downstream.  The 
bait  is  cast  into  all  likely  places,  being  usually 
swung  out  and  across  the  stream,  and  allowed 
to  go  round  and  down  until  it  arrives  close 
under  the  angler's  bank,  when  it  may  be 
drawn  close  up  to  his  feet.  Trout  are  fond 
of  seizing  the  minnow  just  before  it  is  lifted 
from  the  water,  and  also  when  going  round 
and  down  from  the  farther  bank,  so  the 
angler  should  be  expectant  of  a  "  pluck " 
at  such  a  moment.  If  you  see  a  trout  follow 
the  bait,  do  not  jerk  it  or  increase  its  speed, 
but  continue  to  spin  at  the  same  even  pace, 
and  ten  chances  to  one  he  will  take  it.  A 
trout  seizes  a  minnow  with  great  dash,  and 
it  is  an  exciting  moment  when  a  big  fish 
rushes  at  the  lure.  The  minnow  being  armed 
with  one  or  more  triangles  of  hooks,  a  fish 
is  usually  held  pretty  firmly,  and  does  not 
fight  so  strongly  as  if  hooked  on  the  fly. 
The  motion  of  the  minnow  in  the  water 


WORM  AND  MINNOW  FISHING         85 

should  be  varied.  Sometimes  a  steady  pace 
proves  most  attractive,  while  again  a  series 
of  short  runs  and  halts  may  tempt  a  fish. 
The  bait  should  spin  about  mid-water  depth, 
the  weight  of  the  lure  depending  on  the  volume 
of  the  water  at  the  time. 

Using  an  ordinary  fly-rod,  the  bait  must 
be  thrown  underhand  and  to  the  side,  as  the 
overhand  cast  is  not  suited  to  such  a  weapon. 
When  spinning  the  minnow,  the  angler  will 
always  experience  the  best  sport  in  the  fast, 
streamy  water.  Right  at  the  head  of  the 
roughest  streams  he  will  often  connect  with 
the  largest  trout.  As  the  fly-rod  is  not  likely 
to  be  equipped  with  a  spinning  reel,  the 
necessary  length  of  line  should  be  pulled  off 
by  hand,  letting  the  slack  line  "  shoot "  as 
the  bait  flies  out. 

§  6.  Spinning  Upstream. 
Upstream  minnow  fishing  can  be  success- 
fully practised  in  low  clear  water,  although 
this  method  is  not  to  be  recommended  to 
the  angler  until  he  has  had  considerable 
experience.  Upstream  spinning  is  very  kil- 
ling indeed,  but  it  requires  considerable 
nicety  to  do  it  properly.  The  bait  is  thrown 
as  one  casts  a  fly  in  upstream  fishing ;  it 
is  then  spun  quickly  downstream  or  down 


86    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

and  partially  across.  Small  minnows  and 
fine  tackle  should  always  be  used  in  low  clear 
water.  Indeed,  with  the  exception  of  worm 
fishing  in  flooded  water,  fine  tackle  always 
pays  best  when  in  pursuit  of  trout.  Some 
fishermen  are  capable  of  using  finer  casts 
and  traces  than  others,  the  temperament 
of  the  individual  having  a  lot  to  do  with  it. 
In  riding,  some  people  have  better  "  hands  " 
than  others,  and  the  same  thing  applies  to 
angling. 

By  always  carrying  a  couple  of  small  quill 
minnows  and  a  trace,  many  a  bad  day  with 
the  fly  can  be  retrieved.  Capital  sport  has 
often  been  had  by  fishing  upstream  in  the 
morning  with  fly,  and  back  again  in  the 
evening  with  minnow. 


CHAPTER  VII 
MAYFLY  AND  LAKE  FISHING 

§  1.   The  Mayfly  and  the  stonefly. 

Southern  anglers,  when  speaking  of  the 
Mayfly,  refer  to  the  green  drake,  a  large, 
ephemeral  insect  known  to  science  as  Ephe- 
mera Vulgata.  North- country  fishermen,  on 
the  other  hand,  apply  the  appellation  to  a 
very  different  creature.  The  latter  is  really 
the  stonefly,  whose  Latin  name  is  Perla 
Bicaudata.  Both  these  flies  spend  their  larval 
state  beneath  the  water.  In  this  state  the 
stonefly  is  known  as  the  "  creeper,"  and  is 
then  quite  as  keenly  devoured  by  the  trout 
as  when  later  on  it  sports  wings.  Even  when 
fully  matured,  the  stonefly,  besides  being 
ugly,  is  a  clumsy  creature,  the  female  only 
being  able  to  make  some  feeble  use  of  her 
wings.  The  male  is  known  as  the  "jack," 
and  is  quite  unable  to  rise  from  the  ground. 
The  Mayfly  proper  is  a  large  and  handsome 
insect,  and  constitutes  the  biggest  lure, 

87 


88    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 


whether  natural  or  artificial,  that  is  cast  with 
a  fly-rod.  The  paradox  of  the  Mayfly  is 
that  it  usually  appears  in  June.  On  some 
rivers  and  lakes  it  hatches  out  in  great 
numbers,  whereas  on  other  waters  it  is 
entirely  absent. 

§  2.   Fishing  with   the  natural  and  artificial 

Mayfly. 

Fly-fishing  with  the  natural  or  artificial 
green  drake,  differs  little  from  ordinary  ang- 
ling with  the  fly.  The  lure  is  of  course  much 


FIG.  18. — NATURAL  MAYFLY. 


FIG.  19. — ARTIFICIAL 
MAYFLY  (SUMMER- 
DUCK  WINGS). 


larger  than  that  ordinarily  used,  and  the 
gut  cast  may  be  rather  stronger,  as  in  Mayfly 
time  the  big  and  heavy  trout  begin  to  bestir 
themselves  in  real  earnest.  On  lakes,  parti- 
cularly some  of  the  Irish  loughs,  dapping 
with  the  natural  Mayfly  is  a  favourite  method 


MAYFLY  AND  LAKE  FISHING          89 

of  angling.  The  outfit  consists  of  a  long 
rod,  to  which  is  attached  a  very  light  silk 
line.  The  Mayfly  is  attached  to  a  special 
hook  or  hooks,  and  with  the  breeze  behind 
him,  the  angler  allows  the  line  to  drift  out, 
so  that  the  fly  settles  like  thistledown  on 
the  water.  On  rivers  the  angler  generally 
uses  an  artificial  Mayfly.  The  latter  is  tied 
on  a  long  may-hook ;  and  if  winged,  the 
wings  are  usually  composed  of  summer-duck 
feathers.  Floating  Mayflies  are  cork-bodied 
and  are  thus  extremely  buoyant.  On  the 
dry-fly  rivers,  where  the  Mayfly  comes  on 
in  thousands,  a  winged  or  hackled  artificial 
is  the  fashionable  lure.  When  fishing  a 
single  artificial  Mayfly,  the  cast  need  not  be 
longer  than  two  yards,  and  may  be  tapered 
from  stout  trout  to  2x  drawn.  The  fineness  of 
the  taper  will,  of  course,  depend  on  the  average 
size  of  the  trout  likely  to  be  caught  as  well 
as  on  the  skill  of  the  fisherman.  A  dry-fly 
rod  from  9  feet  to  10  feet  in  length  makes 
a  serviceable  weapon  for  this  style  of  fishing. 
The  lure  is  cast  in  the  same  way  as  an  ordi- 
nary dry  or  wet  fly.  When  the  trout  are 
really  taking  the  Mayfly  well,  a  hackle 
pattern  artificial,  fished  wet,  often  kills  much 
better  than  the  "  floater." 

N.B. — When  casting  with  the  natural  fly, 


90    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

the  angler  must  do  so  with  care,  as  the 
green  drake  is  a  fragile  insect,  and  will  not 
stand  much  handling. 

§  3.   Fishing  with  the  natural  and  artificial 

stonefly. 

The  tackle  for  fishing  the  natural  stonefly 
consists  of  an  ordinary  single-handed  fly-rod, 


FIG.  20. — MALE  STONEFLY 


FIG.  21. — FEMALE  STONE- 
FLY. 


FIG.  22. — STONEFLY  ON  Two -HOOK  TACKLE. 

with  the  usual  complement  of  line,  and  a 
2J-  or  3-yard  cast,  tapered  to  4x.  To  the 
end  of  this  are  attached  two  hooks,  whipped 
on  with  silk.  The  hooks  are  f  inch  apart, 
and  on  opposite  sides  of  the  gut,  a  No.  2 


MAYFLY  AND  LAKE  FISHING         91 

for  the  top  hook,  and  a  No.  3  for  the  bottom. 
To  bait  the  tackle,  the  upper  hook  is  passed 
through  the  throat  of  the  fly,  while  the  lower 
hook  is  pushed  through  the  abdomen,  the 
barb  being  underneath.  The  best  time  to 
fish  the  stonefly  is  when  a  breeze  is  blowing 
upstream,  and  an  inch  or  two  of  fresh  water 
is  in  the  river.  A  slight  rise  in  the  height 
of  the  stream  washes  the  flies  out,  whereas 
a  flood  carries  them  away,  and  sport  with 
them  ceases  for  the  season.  The  best  places 
to  fish  are  the  streams  and  broken  water, 
and  the  edges  of  the  gravel  beds.  With  a 
fair  breeze,  the  pools  are  also  worth  atten- 
tion. Trout  take  the  "  creeper "  quite  as 
well  as  the  mature  fly.  Early  morning  is 
the  best  time  to  begin  fishing,  daybreak 
being  none  too  soon  to  make  a  start.  To- 
wards the  end  of  May,  and  early  in  June, 
the  stoneflies  hatch  out  in  thousands  on 
the  gravel  beds  of  our  northern  streams ; 
and  by  turning  up  the  stones  at  the  water's 
edge,  the  angler  can  soon  secure  a  sufficient 
store  of  the  insects.  They  can  be  carried 
in  a  tin,  such  as  tackle-makers  supply  for 
the  purpose.  There  is  at  least  one  pattern 
of  artificial  stonefly  that  kills  well,  but  most 
north-country  anglers  prefer  to  fish  with 
the  natural  insect. 


92    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

§  4.  Lake  fishing  :  Outfit. 
Now  and  then,  the  novice  will  no  doubt 
like  to  have  a  day's  fishing  on  some  lake 
or  tarn.  The  outfit  suitable  for  the  river 
is  equally  applicable  to  the  lake,  although  a 
rather  longer  and  more  powerful  rod  may 
well  be  used,  if  there  is  a  likelihood  of  hooking 
a  salmon  while  trout  fishing.  Some  lakes 
hold  a  fair  number  of  salmon,  and  it  of 
course  takes  longer  to  kill  one  of  these  fish 
with  a  light  trout  rod  than  it  does  with  a 
more  powerful  weapon.  Still,  it  can  be  done, 
and  the  victory  is  all  the  more  pleasing  on 
that  account.  Trout  being  the  main  object, 
however,  an  ordinary  9-foot  or  10-foot  fly- 
rod  is  the  least  tiring  to  handle  during  a 
long  day,  and  many  more  fish  will  be  killed 
with  it  than  when  using  a  larger  rod,  as  the 
smaller  weapon  strikes  quicker  and  so  misses 
very  few  rises,  especially  where  the  trout  run 
from  J  Ib.  to  1  Ib.  The  above  applies  to 
fishing  from  a  boat,  where  the  angler  usually 
has  a  breeze  behind  him.  In  angling  from 
the  shore,  the  want  of  a  longer  rod  is  some- 
times felt  when  trout  are  rising  within  long 
casting  distance  of  the  bank,  but  even  then 
if  the  fishermen  will  wade  whenever  possible 
the  short,  light  rod  does  all  that  is  asked 
of  it. 


MAYFLY  AND  LAKE  FISHING         93 

Flies  for  lake  fishing  are  usually  rather 
longer  than  those  for  the  river,  though  in 
a  dead  calm  the  small  river  flies  afford  the 
best  sport.  The  size  of  the  flies  should  be 
regulated  by  the  amount  of  wind  and  the 
consequent  roughness  of  the  water,  while 
the  gut  cast  should  always  be  as  fine  as  the 
angler  dare  use.  Fishing  from  a  boat  drifting 
with  the  wind,  the  flies  are  cast  with  the 
breeze,  the  point  of  the  rod  being  raised  as 
the  boat  approaches  the  lures,  in  order  to 
keep  the  line  taut  and  so  ready  for  a  quick 
strike  when  a  fish  rises.  A  landing-net  is  a 
necessity  in  a  boat,  and  it  should  be  long- 
handled,  in  order  to  afford  leverage  when 
lifting  a  heavy  fish,  the  handle  resting  beneath 
the  fisherman's  elbow.  Fishing  in  a  dead 
calm,  small  flies  and  the  finest  of  gut  should 
be  used.  After  the  flies  alight  they  are  best 
left  alone  until  the  disturbance  of  their  fall 
has  subsided,  when  they  may  be  slowly 
drawn  in  by  short  jerks. 

§  5.  Where  to  look  for  fish. 
Early  in  the  season,  trout  favour  the 
shallower  water  round  the  northern  shores 
of  the  lake,  because  that  water  is  then  the 
least  cold,  as  the  sun  falls  more  powerfully 
upon  it  and  the  land  adjoining  than  it  does 


94    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

on  the  south  side.  As  spring  advances,  how- 
ever, the  temperature  of  the  deep  water 
becomes  more  equable  than  that  of  the 
shallows,  which  lose  most  of  their  heat  at 
night ;  the  fish  therefore  resort  to  the  deeps, 
until  such  time  as  the  nights  become  warm 
as  well  as  the  days,  and  the  temperature  of 
the  shallows  likewise  becomes  equable.  It 
is  the  shallows  that  the  trout  prefer,  so  long 
as  the  temperature  is  suitable. 

§  6.  Trolling  (or  harling). 
Really  heavy  trout  in  lakes  seldom  rise  to 
the  fly  at  all,  as  they  prefer  more  substantial 
food  in  the  shape  of  their  smaller  and  weaker 
brethren  and  bottom-feed  in  general.  To 
kill  them,  therefore,  the  angler  must  resort 
to  the  use  of  the  minnow,  natural  or  artificial, 
trolled  behind  a  boat.  A  trolling  rod  should 
be  short  and  fairly  stout,  and  the  reel  should 
be  capable  of  holding  100  yards  of  line.  If 
a  gut  trace  is  used,  it  should  not  be  thicker 
than  necessary,  say  a  couple  of  grades  stouter 
than  the  thinnest  undrawn.  Fine,  twisted 
wire  traces  can  now  be  had  nearly  as  supple 
as  gut,  and  of  great  strength.  The  natural 
minnow  affixed  to  a  tackle  is  the  most  killing 
bait  on  most  lakes,  though  big  trout  often 
take  phantom  minnows  and  other  patterns  of 


MAYFLY  AND  LAKE  FISHING         95 

artificials  quite  well.  The  chief  requisite  in 
trolling  is  a  knowledge  of  the  shoals  and 
bays  where  the  fish  usually  lie.  The  local 
boatmen  know  these  places,  so  the  angler  is 
pretty  safe  if  he  puts  himself  in  their  hands. 
There  is  little  skill  in  trolling  beyond  being 
able  to  play  a  fish  when  it  is  on.  Once 
hooked,  there  is  plenty  of  room  in  a  lake  to 
play  and  tire  out  a  trout,  so  apart  from  the 
chance  of  a  "  smash "  all  should  go  well. 
The  minnow  should  be  weighted,  so  as  to 
keep  it  two  or  three  feet  beneath  the  surface, 
and  sufficient  line  should  be  out,  say  twenty 
yards,  to  keep  the  line  well  behind  the  boat. 
When  trolling,  deeper  water  is  tried  than 
when  fly-fishing,  and  very  often  heavy  trout 
are  secured  in  the  deepest  part  of  a  lake. 
On  Lake  Windermere  "specimen"  fish  are 
frequently  taken  on  the  char  trolls,  which 
are  sunk  to  a  great  depth.  Trolling  is  rather 
dull  work  compared  with  spinning  on  a  river, 
but  it  is  the  only  reliable  method  of  taking 
really  heavy  trout  in  lakes. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
NIGHT  FISHING 

§  1.    The  anglers  opportunity. 

At  midsummer,  when  the  days  are  broiling 
hot  and  a  pitiless  sun  beats  down  upon  the 
shrunken  river,  fly-fishing  is  altogether  at  a 
discount,  except  in  the  evening  and  during 
the  dark  hours  of  the  night.  It  is  pleasant 
to  sally  forth  with  the  rod  when  the  sun 
begins  to  sink,  for  the  air  is  then  cooler,  and 
the  angler  feels  more  energetic  than  earlier 
in  the  day. 

At  night  there  is  a  concerted  movement 
of  the  trout  towards  the  very  shallowest 
portions  of  the  river,  where  very  often  the 
water  is  barely  deep  enough  to  cover  them. 
As  the  dusk  fades  into  darkness,  the  fisherman 
can  discard  the  flies  he  uses  in  the  daytime 
for  larger  lures ;  and  he  may  also  use  a 
shorter  and  stouter  cast.  But  before  attempt- 
ing to  fish  at  night,  he  should  be  perfectly 
familiar  with  every  hole  and  corner  of  the 


NIGHT  FISHING  97 

stream,  otherwise  he  is  liable  to  encounter 
many  pitfalls.  In  the  first  place,  if  the  river 
is  wide  and  deep,  and  he  is  wading,  which 
he  will  have  to  do  on  most  streams,  there  is 
a  danger  of  stepping  into  some  dark  pool. 
With  waterlogged  waders,  even  the  strongest 
swimmer  may  be  pulled  down,  the  conse- 
quences not  being  pleasant  to  contemplate. 
This  is  the  worst  mishap  that  can  overtake 
him,  the  others  being  minor  in  comparison. 
Trees  and  hedges  bordering  the  water  are  apt 
to  catch  the  fly  or  flies  when  casting,  and  the 
line  may  become  tangled  on  the  water  with- 
out warning,  unless  from  time  to  time  it  is 
drawn  through  the  fingers.  So,  before  setting 
out  for  an  all-night  expedition,  it  is  wise  to 
select  your  water  and  become  familiar  with 
it  by  day.  A  single  fly,  too,  is  better  than  a 
cast,  for  the  less  material  you  have  to  get 
entangled,  the  more  smoothly  will  your  sport 
proceed.  A  large  fly  and  strong  gut  enable 
you  to  deal  summarily  with  a  hooked  fish. 
The  trout  must  be  so  dealt  with  too,  for  the 
less  you  disturb  the  water  the  better.  Hustle 
your  victim  downstream  willy-nilly  to  the 
net  or  to  hand,  and  get  him  into  the  basket 
as  soon  as  possible.  When  you  can  see  to 
use  a  net,  a  single  fly  also  has  the  advantage 
of  not  getting  mixed  up  with  the  meshes  like 


98    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

a  cast.  ...  If  you  have  a  "  smash "  or 
get  "  hung  up  "  somewhere,  a  pocket  flash- 
lamp  will  be  found  very  handy  in  giving 
sufficient  illumination  to  set  things  right. 

§  2.  Flies  and  method  on  the  river. 
Lying  in  the  shallows,  the  trout  cannot  see 
far  in  the  darkness  and  readily  take  a  large 
fly,  often  rising  close  to  the  angler's  feet,  so 
long  as  he  is  careful  to  avoid  making  a  dis- 
turbance. It  is  generally  understood  that  a 
white,  yellow  or  light-coloured  fly  is  best  for 
night  fishing,  as  being  more  visible  to  the 
trout.  I  think,  however,  a  fallacy  lurks  in 
this  theory.  The  definition  of  colour  is : 
light  in  subtle  distribution  amongst  matter. 
When  the  light  fades,  colour  fades  too.  It 
is  quite  easy  to  prove  this.  When  darkness 
falls,  step  out  into  the  garden,  where,  during 
the  daytime,  the  beds  are  a  blaze  of  colour. 
What  do  you  see  ?  Nothing  but  a  general 
blackness,  in  which  colours  are  absolutely 
undistinguishable.  If  further  proof  be  needed, 
fish  a  stretch  of  river  at  night,  and  it  will  be 
found  that  the  trout  then  take  a  black  fly 
quite  as  readily  as  a  white  one  or  one  of 
brilliant  yellow.  By  using  a  large  fly  at 
night,  the  angler  is  not  offering  the  trout 
anything  abnormal  in  size  or  shape,  because, 


NIGHT  FISHING  99 

under  cover  of  darkness,  many  large  moths, 
beetles,  etc.,  are  abroad.  A  large  fly  on  the 
whole  is  preferable  for  this  reason  :  its  bigger 
hook  gets  a  good  hold  and  so  enables  you  to 
handle  a  trout  quickly  and,  if  necessary,  more 
or  less  unceremoniously.1 

When  fishing  at  night,  it  is  best  to  cast 
across  and  downstream.  In  the  darkness  you 
can  hear  the  plop-plop  of  rising  trout,  but  it 
is  impossible  to  see  their  movements.  By  fish- 
ing down  you  keep  your  line  fairly  taut,  and 
the  instant  a  fish  seizes  the  fly  you  feel  him. 

§  3.   Night  -fishing  with  gentles  on  lakes. 

Night  fishing  may  be  indulged  in  with 
considerable  profit  on  lakes.  Then,  if  the 
angler  puts  gentles  on  his  fly-hooks,  he  will 
often  find  capital  sport.  During  May,  June 
and  July,  trout  take  maggots  well,  and  will 
often  rise  to  them  on  a  bare  hook.  For  some 
reason  or  other,  however,  they  are  even 
keener  on  them  when  attached  to  artificial 
fly-hooks.  If  gentles  are  not  to  be  obtained, 

1  No  doubt  many  an  angler  has  wondered  whether 
trout  sleep.  During  some  portion  of  the  night  there  is 
generally  a  cessation  amongst  the  feeding  fish,  and  it 
may  be  that  they  utilize  this  interval  for  slumber. 
Being  on  the  shallows,  they  are  free  from  pressure  and 
interference  by  the  stream ;  therefore  it  seems  not 
unreasonable  to  suppose  that  there  is  some  truth  in 
the  above  theory. 


100    TROUT-FISHING  FOR  THE  BEGINNER 

a  small  strip  cut  from  a  white-kid  glove  makes 
a  good  substitute. 

There  is  a  novelty  about  night  fishing  that 
makes  it  a  pleasant  change  from  angling 
during  the  daylight  hours.  The  wild  life  of 
the  night  is  abroad,  and  in  addition  to  the 
sounds  of  rising  fish  one  hears  the  loud  hoot- 
ing of  the  owls,  which  rings  out  with  eerie 
suddenness.  Sometimes  you  may  chance  to 
glimpse  another  fisherman,  the  otter,  at  work, 
who,  like  yourself,  is  bent  upon  securing  a 
succulent  dish  of  trout.  Him  you  may  see 
floating  like  a  log  with  the  current  or  drawing 
himself  out  on  to  some  convenient  stone,  a 
plump  fish  between  his  sharp  teeth.  Amongst 
the  debris  on  the  banks  rats  scuttle  about, 
their  squeaks  and  rustlings  adding  to  the 
other  strange  noises  of  the  night.  Gradually 
an  indefinite  something  in  the  east  gives 
warning  of  the  approach  of  dawn,  and  one 
by  one  nearby  objects  begin  to  stand  out 
from  the  general  blackness.  Colour  too  comes 
creeping  in,  until  at  last  the  fields  are  once 
more  green,  and  the  world  is  awake.  Your 
thoughts  then  turn  towards  home  and  break- 
fast, not  the  least  interesting  item  of  the  latter 
being  a  few  freshly  cooked  trout,  which  came 
to  your  net  when  other  people  were  in  bed. 


,". 


Y'g  '10344 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

RENEWALS  ONLY—TEL.  NO.  642-3405 
This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


LD2lA-60m-3,'70 
(N5382slO)476-A-32 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


